The CaterOT Database Contains Exactly 87,045 Records With Names and Birthdates

HEROIC analysts discovered the CaterOT breach while reviewing a compilation of older gaming site databases that had surfaced on a hacking forum. Around January 2017, the gaming website CaterOT had its database compromised, exposing 87,045 user records. What stood out about this breach was the completeness of each user profile. Unlike many older breaches that contain only email addresses and hashed passwords, this one also included first names, last names, dates of birth, and gender, making the data much more accessable to identity thieves looking to build detailed profiles on real people.

How Detailed User Profiles Fuel Identity Theft and Targeted Attacks

Having a name, birthday, and gender alongside an email address and password hash gives attackers enough information to attempt identity verification on financial sites, answer security questions, and craft highly personal phishing messages. Even if the password hash takes time to crack, the personal details alone are valuable. Criminals can use this data to open credit accounts, reset passwords on other services, or build convincing fake personas. The combination of data types in this breach is partcularly dangerous because each piece reinforces the others.

What Was Exposed in the CaterOT Breach

• Email Address
• Password Hash
• Username
• First Name
• Last Name
• Birthday
• Gender

Why Gaming Breaches Are a Gateway to Bigger Accounts

Many people use the same password across gaming sites and their primary email, banking, or work accounts. The SHA1 password hashes in this breach are considered weak by modern standards and can often be cracked using lookup tables or specialized cracking tools. Once an attacker has the real password, they can attempt to access the person's email or other accounts. This kind of credential stuffing and account takeover has occured across millions of gaming-related leaks, and the CaterOT data continues to circulate in attacker communities years after the original breach.

How Database Breaches Work

A database breach happens when attackers find a way into the system that stores a company's user data. For gaming sites, this often involves exploiting vulnerabilities in the website's code or gaining access through stolen administrator credentials. Once inside, attackers can copy the entire user table in a matter of minutes. The data is then packaged and sold or shared on dark web forums and hacking communities, where it can remain in circulation for years.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC's free breach scanner searches more than 400 billion records to find out if your email address or personal details appeared in the CaterOT breach or thousands of other known leaks. Visit HEROIC.com to run your free scan today.