Freepik Breach: 28,000 Passwords Exposed. Yours Might Be One.

HEROIC analysts found a database dump from Freepik, a popular Spanish graphic design platform, surface on July 16, 2023. The exposed dataset contained approximately 55,000 records, with 28,116 unique email addresses paired with passwords stored in plaintext. No hashing, no salting. Just raw credentials sitting in the open.

What Attackers Can Do With Plaintext Passwords Right Now

When passwords are stored in plaintext, attackers do not need to crack anything. They can take every email and password pair from this Freepik dump and begin testing them against Gmail, banking sites, PayPal, and social media accounts within minutes. This is called credential stuffing, and it works partcularly well when people reuse the same password across services. A designer who used Freepik for stock assets may find their creative agency email, their client portal, or their Adobe account compromised next.

What Was Exposed in the Freepik Breach

• Email addresses (28,116 unique)
• Plaintext passwords

Why Plaintext Passwords Make This Breach Especially Dangerous

Most breaches involve hashed passwords, which at least require attackers to run cracking tools before they can use the data. This breach skips that step entirely. The credentials are accessable and ready to use. That means credential stuffing campaigns, account takeovers, and targeted phishing emails can be launched immediately after the data is acquired. If you ever signed up for Freepik before July 2023, assume your password was recieved by someone who should not have it.

How Database Breaches Work

A database breach typically occured when an attacker exploits a vulnerability in a web application, gains access to backend infrastructure, and exports user tables directly. In cases where passwords are stored in plaintext, the damage is immediate and irreversible. There is no window between the breach and the exploitation. The data is already in a usable state the moment it leaves the server.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC offers a free breach scanner that searches across 400 billion records to tell you exactly what data has been exposed under your email address. If you used Freepik at any point, run a scan now. It takes seconds and could save you from an account takeover you never see coming.