The columbia.edu Stealer Log Quietly Exposed 1,780 Logins

A Stealer Log Tied to columbia.edu Quietly Surfaced on Telegram

HEROIC analysts identified a stealer log file dated 10-Jun-2026 that was uploaded to a Telegram channel by an individual user. The file contained 1,780 records connected to columbia.edu, including email addresses, plaintext passwords, and the URLs of the login pages where those credentials were entered. There was no announcement and no press release, just a quiet file drop that puts real logins in the hands of anyone who finds it.

Why This Is Dangerous

Stealer logs are collected by infostealer malware running quietly on an infected device, which copies saved browser logins and sends them back to whoever controls the malware. Because each record pairs an email address with a plaintext password and the exact site it was used on, an attacker can log in directly without guessing. If the same password is reused elsewhere, they can try it on other accounts too.

What Was Exposed

• Email addresses
• Plaintext passwords
• URLs of the sites the credentials were used on

Why This Matters

A quiet leak is still a real leak. These 1,780 plaintext credential pairs are exactly what fuels credential stuffing, where stolen email and password combinations are tested automatically against banking sites, email providers, and online stores. Anyone who reused this password elsewhere is at risk of account takeover, and from there, identity theft and financial fraud become real possibilities.

How Stealer Logs Work

Stealer logs are produced by infostealer malware, malicious software built to quietly harvest credentials and browsing data saved in a victim's web browser. Once collected, the malware operator packages the data into a log file and shares or sells it through Telegram channels and dark web marketplaces, which is exactly how this columbia.edu data was found. Because the credentials come straight from the victim's own device, they are often still valid when the log surfaces.

Check If You Are Affected

If you have ever logged into columbia.edu or a similar site, it is worth checking whether your details appear in this or another leak. HEROIC's free breach scanner searches a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, including stealer logs like this one, so you can quickly find out whether your email address or passwords have been exposed and act before an attacker does.