Inside the Hotmail Combo Leak: 3,706 Plaintext Passwords Found

Inside the Hotmail Combo Leak: 3,706 Plaintext Passwords Found

On October 17, 2024, HEROIC analysts identified a stealer log labeled "HOTMAIL COMBO," uploaded by a user on a Telegram channel. The file contained 3,706 records, each combining an email address, a plaintext password, and the URL the login was used on, all filtered around Hotmail accounts.

Why This Is Dangerous

A combo list built specifically around one email provider makes it easy for an attacker to point automated login tools directly at Hotmail's sign-in page using all 3,706 credentials at once. Because the passwords are stored in plaintext, there is no need to crack or decode anything before attempting to log in.

What Was Exposed

• Email addresses
• Plaintext passwords
• URLs tied to each login

Why This Matters

A Hotmail account often serves as a recovery email for other services, so gaining access to one of these 3,706 accounts can let an attacker reset passwords on linked banking, shopping, or social media accounts. Because password reuse is common, this combo list can also fuel credential stuffing attempts against completely unrelated websites, increasing the risk of financial fraud and identity theft for those affected.

How Stealer Logs Work

This combo list was created from infostealer malware infections, with criminals filtering the stolen data by email domain to isolate Hotmail accounts specifically. The resulting file, containing 3,706 verified Hotmail email and password pairs, was then packaged and distributed through Telegram channels dedicated to sharing this kind of targeted credential list.

Check If You Are Affected

If you use a Hotmail account, it is worth checking whether your credentials appear in this or a similar leak. HEROIC's free breach scanner searches more than 400 billion leaked records, including targeted combo lists like this one, to show you if your email address has been compromised. Run a free scan and change any exposed password right away.