ih.wagen.de

We've been tracking a worrying trend of credential stuffing attacks leveraging older, seemingly less valuable breaches. What really struck us wasn't the size of this particular breach, but the fact that plaintext passwords from a 2018 leak are *still* being actively traded and exploited. The data from **ih.wagen.de**, a German website, had been circulating quietly, but we noticed a recent spike in its presence within several popular credential stuffing lists. The persistence of this data highlights the long tail of risk associated with even relatively small breaches, particularly when credentials are not properly hashed and salted.

ih.wagen.de Breach: 80K Plaintext Passwords Fuel Credential Stuffing

A 2018 breach of **ih.wagen.de**, a German website, exposed 80,025 user records, including email addresses and, critically, plaintext passwords. The breach data resurfaced recently on multiple credential stuffing lists, indicating ongoing attempts to compromise accounts using these credentials. The initial breach, which occurred on **August 26, 2018**, was attributed to a database compromise. The presence of plaintext passwords immediately elevated the risk profile of this leak.

Our team noticed a surge in mentions of the **ih.wagen.de** data within underground forums known for trading credential lists. The data had been circulating for years, but the recent uptick in activity suggests a renewed interest, potentially driven by automated credential stuffing tools targeting various online services. What caught our attention was the format of the passwords. The lack of proper hashing made them immediately usable in attacks.

This breach matters to enterprises now because it underscores the enduring risk of legacy credentials. Even years after a breach, exposed usernames and passwords can be leveraged to compromise user accounts across different platforms, especially if users reuse passwords. The ih.wagen.de breach highlights the critical importance of robust password security practices, including mandatory password resets after breaches, multi-factor authentication, and regular monitoring for exposed credentials.

Key point: Total records exposed: 80,025

Key point: Types of data included: Email Address, Plaintext Password

Key point: Sensitive content types: Plaintext passwords

Key point: Source structure: Database

Key point: Leak location(s): Credential stuffing lists, underground forums

Key point: Date of first appearance: August 26, 2018

External Context & Supporting Evidence

While the ih.wagen.de breach itself didn't receive widespread media coverage at the time, similar breaches exposing plaintext passwords have been widely reported. For example, KrebsOnSecurity has frequently highlighted the dangers of plaintext password storage and the resulting credential stuffing attacks. The persistence of this ih.wagen.de data reinforces the need for proactive security measures to mitigate the risk of credential reuse.

We observed chatter on several Telegram channels discussing the use of the ih.wagen.de credentials in conjunction with password cracking tools. One post mentioned the data being used to "hit a bunch of e-commerce sites" indicating the active exploitation of these credentials in real-world attacks.

Email · Address · Plaintext · Password