We've been tracking a worrying trend of older, smaller SaaS platforms experiencing belated data breaches. These incidents often fly under the radar initially, only surfacing years later in credential stuffing attacks or when threat actors attempt to monetize the data on dark web forums. What really struck us with the HOA Town breach wasn't the volume of records, but the age of the breach combined with the use of plaintext passwords. The fact that this data is still circulating and potentially being used in attacks highlights the long tail of risk associated with legacy systems and poor security practices.

HOA Town's 2018 Breach: 41k Records Exposed, Plaintext Passwords in the Wild

In February 2018, HOA Town, a now-defunct SaaS platform catering to homeowner and community associations, suffered a data breach that exposed over 41,000 unique records. This breach recently resurfaced on several dark web forums, prompting our analysis. What caught our attention was not just the age of the breach, but the fact that the exposed passwords were stored in plaintext. This made the breach particularly dangerous, as it allowed attackers to easily compromise user accounts and potentially gain access to sensitive information about homeowners and community associations. The breach matters to enterprises now because it underscores the importance of proper data security practices, even for smaller SaaS platforms. This incident highlights the risk of using outdated security measures and the potential for long-term damage caused by data breaches.

Key point: Total records exposed: 41,005

Key point: Types of data included: Email addresses, plaintext passwords

Key point: Source structure: Likely a database dump, based on the nature of the data

Key point: Leak location(s): Dark web forums and combolists

Key point: Date of first appearance: February 2018 (initial breach), recently resurfaced

The use of plaintext passwords is a particularly egregious security failure. As Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, has repeatedly emphasized, storing passwords in plaintext is one of the worst things a company can do. This practice allows attackers to easily compromise user accounts and potentially gain access to sensitive information. The HOA Town breach serves as a stark reminder of the importance of implementing modern password hashing techniques, such as bcrypt or Argon2, to protect user data.

While the HOA Town breach itself may not be directly attributable to a specific threat actor, similar breaches involving plaintext passwords are often exploited by credential stuffing attacks. These attacks involve using lists of compromised email addresses and passwords to attempt to gain access to user accounts on other websites and services. The fact that the HOA Town data is now circulating in combolists increases the risk of credential stuffing attacks targeting users who may have reused their passwords on other platforms. This aligns with a broader threat theme of credential reuse and the ongoing vulnerability of accounts secured by weak or exposed credentials.

Email · Address · Plaintext · Password

We've been tracking the re-emergence of older breach datasets in various marketplaces, often repackaged and sold as "new" leaks. What really struck us about the HOA Town dataset wasn't its size – at just over **1.4 million** records, it's relatively small – but the longevity and potential for password reuse. This breach, dating back to **March 2018**, highlights the enduring risk posed by even seemingly minor compromises, especially when weak hashing algorithms like MD5 are involved. The dataset's reappearance underscores the need for continuous monitoring and proactive password resets, even for accounts associated with defunct or obscure services.

The HOA Town Breach: 1.4M Records Resurfacing From Defunct Music Store

The HOA Town breach originates from a compromise of StoreLP, a now-defunct Russian e-commerce website specializing in classical music track purchases. The breach occurred in March 2018, exposing the data of 1,435,369 users. While the initial breach likely received some attention at the time, its reappearance in various breach aggregation sites and potentially on dark web marketplaces makes it relevant again.

Our team noticed the dataset being offered on a smaller, less-publicized breach forum. The advertisement highlighted the presence of email addresses and password hashes, specifically noting the use of MD5. What caught our attention was the relatively high percentage of valid-looking email addresses and the risk of password reuse across other, more critical platforms. The age of the data also raises concerns about users who may have forgotten about the account but continue to use the same password elsewhere.

This breach matters to enterprises now because it serves as a potent reminder of the long tail of security incidents. Even breaches from years ago can present a risk if users haven't updated their passwords. The use of MD5, a weak hashing algorithm, makes these passwords particularly vulnerable to cracking, potentially exposing credentials used on other, more sensitive systems. It also ties into the broader threat theme of credential stuffing, where attackers use leaked credentials to gain unauthorized access to accounts on other platforms.

Key point: Total records exposed: 1,435,369

Key point: Types of data included: Email Address, Password Hash (MD5)

Key point: Sensitive content types: Potentially reused passwords

Key point: Source structure: Database

Key point: Leak location(s): Breach Forums, potentially dark web marketplaces

Key point: Date of breach: 05-Mar-2018

While there isn't significant media coverage of this specific StoreLP breach, the broader issue of password reuse and the dangers of weak hashing algorithms are well-documented. Security researcher Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, has consistently warned about the risks associated with password reuse. Numerous articles on sites like KrebsOnSecurity and BleepingComputer highlight the dangers of using the same password across multiple accounts. The continued discovery of MD5-hashed passwords in modern breaches underscores the need for organizations to encourage and enforce strong password policies.

Email · Address · Password · Hash