Hotel Pushpak Security Breach Exposes User Emails and Passwords

HEROIC's DarkHive intelligence system discovered the Hotel Pushpak data breach, exposing 14,898 records from an Indian hotel's official website. The breach occured in March 2018, leaking email addresses and MD5 password hashes belonging to guests and registered users of the hotel's online booking platform.

Why This Is Dangerous

Hospitality sector breaches carry unique risks because hotel guests often book trips in advance, sharing travel plans and personal details. Attackers who crack the MD5 hashes from this breach gain working email and password combinations that let them access other accounts where guests use the same credentials. They can also use verified email addresses to send convincing phishing emails posing as Hotel Pushpak, directing victims to fake payment pages and stealing financial data.

What Was Exposed

• Email Address
• Password Hash (MD5)

Why This Matters

MD5 hashed passwords from breaches like Hotel Pushpak are trivial to crack with modern hardware, making this a direct credential stuffing threat. Users who reused thier hotel account password on email, banking, or travel booking platforms face account takeover risk. Fraudsters also use verified hotel guest email lists to run targeted scams, including fake reservation confirmations and loyalty program fraud, leading to direct financial losses for victims.

How Database Leaks Work

Database leaks in the hospitality sector typicaly result from vulnerabilities in outdated content management systems or booking software. Attackers exploit unpatched plugins, weak database credentials, or insecure APIs to extract stored user tables. The stolen data is then packaged and distributed through dark web marketplaces and Telegram channels, where it fuels seperate waves of automated attacks against other platforms.

Check If You Are Affected

HEROIC offers a free identity scanner that searches over 400 billion records, including data from breaches like Hotel Pushpak. Visit heroic.com to scan your email address and find out if your information was exposed.