Maringa

We've observed a concerning trend of older breaches resurfacing in new contexts, often amplified by the increasing sophistication of credential stuffing attacks. Our team flagged a dataset originating from a 2021 breach of **Maringa.com**, a community hub for the city of Maringa, Brazil. What really struck us wasn't the size of the breach itself, but the fact that it contained **plaintext passwords**. This significantly elevates the risk for affected users, especially given the common practice of password reuse across multiple online services. The data had been circulating quietly, but we noticed an uptick in mentions on several dark web forums, suggesting it was being actively utilized in malicious campaigns.

Maringa.com's 2021 Breach: Plaintext Passwords Fuel Credential Stuffing

The 2021 breach of Maringa.com, which exposed over 140,000 user records, has resurfaced as a potential threat multiplier. The breach was initially reported in April 2021, and our team recently observed it being actively traded and discussed on several underground forums known for facilitating credential stuffing attacks. What makes this breach particularly dangerous is the fact that the exposed passwords were stored in plaintext, meaning they were not encrypted or hashed, and were therefore easily readable by anyone who gained access to the database. This allows threat actors to immediately use these credentials to attempt to compromise other online accounts belonging to the affected users.

The Maringa.com breach caught our attention due to the unusual nature of the data exposure. While large breaches are common, the inclusion of plaintext passwords represents a significant security lapse and vastly increases the potential for harm. The re-emergence of this data now, years after the initial breach, highlights the long-term risks associated with poor data security practices and the persistence of compromised credentials in the threat landscape. This matters to enterprises because it underscores the need for constant vigilance regarding credential monitoring and proactive password resets for any employees whose information may have been compromised in past breaches, regardless of the original source.

Key point: Total records exposed: 140,682

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

Key point: Source structure: Likely a database dump

Key point: Leak location(s): Mentions on various dark web forums and Telegram channels known for credential trading.

Key point: Date of first appearance: April 1, 2021 (initial breach), recent resurgence observed in Q3 2024.

While specific details regarding the initial breach are limited, the incident was reported on several Brazilian news sites in 2021. The lack of robust security measures on a platform handling user data is a recurring theme in many breaches, often stemming from outdated security protocols or a lack of security awareness. The reuse of compromised credentials from older breaches is a common tactic employed by threat actors, as highlighted in numerous threat reports from organizations like CrowdStrike and Mandiant. The SANS Institute also maintains resources detailing the risks of plaintext password storage and best practices for secure password management. One Telegram post claimed the files were "useful for brute forcing Brazilian banking sites."

Email · Address · Plaintext · Password