Inside the ‘Hotmail’ Combolist: How 1,090 Passwords Got Leaked

Inside the "Hotmail" Combolist: 1,090 Accounts Exposed

On October 15, 2025, HEROIC analysts found a combolist labeled "Hotmail" circulating in a private Telegram channel. The file contained 1,090 records pairing email addresses with plaintext passwords, along with URLs identifying the site each credential was captured from.

Why This Combolist Is Dangerous

With plaintext passwords included, anyone who downloads this file can attempt to log into the associated accounts immediately, no cracking or guessing needed. The URLs bundled with each record tell an attacker exactly which site to try first, making the file ready to use the moment it changes hands.

What Was Exposed in the "Hotmail" Leak

• Email addresses
• Plaintext passwords
• URLs tied to each credential pair

Why This Matters for the Accounts Involved

A file of 1,090 records is a practical size for automated credential stuffing, letting bots test every entry against major websites quickly. If your email and password appear here and you have reused that password anywhere else, you risk account takeover, identity theft, and financial fraud on any account sharing that login.

How a Combolist Like This Gets Made

A combolist is simply a compiled file of email or username and password pairs, gathered from smaller breaches, phishing pages, or malware infections and then combined into one list. Criminals often label these files by theme, in this case an email provider, then trade or sell them in private Telegram channels where buyers run bulk login attempts using automated tools.

Check If You Are Affected

If you want to know whether your email address is part of the "Hotmail" combolist or any other leak, HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your information against a database of more than 400 billion exposed records. Run a scan now and update any password you may have reused.