Michael Anderle Breach From 2018 Still Exposes 3,690 Accounts

HEROIC analysts traced a set of leaked credentials back to Michael Anderle, the personal and publishing website of an independent author and founder of LMBPN Publishing. The data surfaced on a hacking forum, with the underlying incident dated August 26, 2018. It involves 3,690 records containing email addresses paired with phpass password hashes. This report has not been independently verified, and because the data has been circulating for years, it may still be actively traded even though the original exposure is old.

Why This Is Dangerous

A password hash is not the same thing as a secured password. Phpass is an older hashing method, and if the original passwords were short, common, or reused, attackers can often crack the hash back into readable text using widely available tools, giving them a working login for the account it was tied to.

What Was Exposed

• Email addresses
• Phpass password hashes

Why This Matters

Once a hash is cracked, the resulting email and password pair becomes fuel for credential stuffing, where attackers try the same combination across email, banking, and social media accounts. Anyone among the 3,690 affected records who reused their password elsewhere is at risk of account takeover, which can lead to identity theft or financial fraud even years after the original leak.

How Database and Combolist Leaks Work

This incident is classified as a database and combolist leak, meaning the original data was likely pulled from a compromised database and later folded into a combolist, a text file that combines emails and passwords from many different leaks into one list. Combolists circulate for years on criminal forums, which is why an eight-year-old leak like this one can still pose a real risk today.

Check If You Are Affected

Not sure if your email shows up in this or another leak? HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your address against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, so you can catch old exposures like this one and update any passwords you may still be reusing.