If You Used Creative Hold, Your Plaintext Password May Be on the Dark Web

HEROIC analysts flagged the Creative Hold breach after the database occured in monitored dark web forums in April 2021. Creative Hold, a French graphic design and creative services website, had 181,984 user records extracted from its backend database. The exposed data included email addresses and passwords stored in plaintext, giving attackers instant access to every stolen account.

Plaintext Passwords From Creative Hold Give Attackers Immediate Account Access

With the Creative Hold breach, there is no decryption step. Every one of the 181,984 stolen passwords is accessable in its original form, meaning attackers can log directly into Creative Hold accounts and test those same credentials across other platforms. Email services, payment accounts, and social media profiles are all at risk when users have reused their Creative Hold password elsewhere.

What Was Exposed in the Creative Hold Breach

• Email Address
• Plaintext Password

Why Password Reuse Makes the Creative Hold Leak Partcularly Threatening

A database breach containing plaintext passwords is not limited to the breached platform. Attackers use the Creative Hold credential pairs to run automated credential stuffing attacks against banks, email providers, and e-commerce sites. Any account where the victim used the same email and password is vulnerable. Identity theft, unauthorized financial transactions, and account lockout are all real outcomes for the 181,984 individuals whose data was stolen.

How a Database Breach Works

A database breach occurs when an attacker gains unauthorized access to an application's data store, typically through SQL injection, misconfigured database permissions, or stolen administrative credentials. Once inside, the attacker exports user tables directly. When passwords are stored in plaintext rather than hashed with a strong algorithm, the extracted database requires no further processing. Every credential is immediately usable, dramatically increasing the real-world impact of the breach.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC's free breach scanner searches more than 400 billion records to check whether your email address appeared in the Creative Hold breach or any of thousands of other incidents. Run a free scan at HEROIC today and find out if your credentials are circulating on the dark web.