Scan Now: 95,464 Freedom Hosting II Accounts Exposed Online

HEROIC analysts identified a file tied to Freedom Hosting II, a hosting provider, dated 31-Jan-2017. The file contains 95,464 records made up of email addresses, usernames and password hashes pulled directly from the provider's own systems. The only way to know for certain whether your details are part of this file is to scan your email.

What a Hosting Account Login Is Worth to an Attacker

A username and email tied to a hosting account can point an attacker toward other services registered under the same identity, since people often reuse a login handle across sign ups. Add a password hash into the mix, and a successful crack can hand over direct access to any account still using that same password, hosting related or not.

The Three Fields Pulled From This Hosting Provider's Records

• Email Address: gives an attacker a verified contact point for phishing built around this breach.
• Username: can be searched across other platforms to locate a person's other registered accounts.
• Password Hash: not readable directly, but can potentially be cracked and tested against other logins if reused.

What This Exposure Can Lead To

If a password recovered from this file still works on another account, the fallout can include unauthorized access to email, unexpected password reset notices, or an account being quietly taken over before the owner notices. A matched username can also help an attacker locate and target a person's other online accounts beyond this one hosting provider.

How a Hosting Provider's Account Table Gets Copied Out

This record set reportedly came directly from Freedom Hosting II's own account database rather than from a mixed password list. In a breach of this kind, an attacker typically finds a way into the provider's backend, through a software flaw, a stolen credential or an exposed server, and exports the stored account table in one pass. That is different from a list built gradually from many smaller leaks, since every entry here traces back to this one provider.

Checking Whether You Appear in This Freedom Hosting II File

The quickest way to know is to scan your email against this 95,464-record file. If you get a match, change the password on that account immediately and anywhere else you used the same one. Check both a personal inbox and any work email you may have used to register a hosting account.