We're seeing an uptick in breaches impacting smaller, regionally-focused e-commerce platforms, often overlooked in broader threat landscapes. Our team flagged this particular incident during a sweep for older breaches resurfacing in new combolists. What struck us wasn't the size – just under 40,000 records – but the specific combination of outdated hashing algorithms and the platform's niche focus on DIY crafts, suggesting a potential blind spot for security best practices. The re-emergence of this data, even years later, highlights the long tail of risk associated with seemingly minor breaches.

The Thai E-Commerce Site with 39k Exposed Accounts

In August 2018, the e-commerce site Pooyingnaka, catering to the Thailand market and specializing in DIY Sanrio paper doll products, experienced a data breach. The breach, affecting 39,314 users, exposed sensitive information, including email addresses and password hashes. The use of MD5 for password hashing, now considered highly insecure, significantly elevates the risk for affected users.

The incident initially caught our attention due to its appearance in recent combolists circulating on underground forums in late 2023. While the breach itself occurred in 2018, the continued availability of the data and its integration into combolists means these credentials are still actively being used in credential stuffing attacks. This is particularly concerning given the platform's niche focus, suggesting that many users may have reused these credentials across other, potentially more critical accounts.

This breach matters to enterprises because it underscores the ongoing risk posed by older, seemingly insignificant breaches. These incidents, often involving smaller businesses or regional platforms, can serve as entry points for attackers seeking to compromise user accounts across a wider range of services. The use of weak hashing algorithms like MD5 is a recurring theme in older breaches, making these datasets valuable for attackers looking to crack passwords and gain access to user accounts.

The resurgence of this Pooyingnaka data also reflects a broader trend of attackers leveraging older breach datasets for credential stuffing and account takeover attacks. These attacks are often automated and target a wide range of services, making it crucial for enterprises to monitor for compromised credentials and implement multi-factor authentication to protect user accounts.

Key point: Total records exposed: 39,314

Key point: Types of data included: Email addresses, MD5 password hashes

Key point: Sensitive content types: None specified, but email addresses and password hashes constitute PII.

Key point: Source structure: Likely a database dump, though the specific format is not detailed in available reports.

Key point: Leak location(s): Now circulating on various underground forums and combolists.

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

While specific details regarding the initial discovery and reporting of the breach are limited, the incident was documented on breach notification sites like Have I Been Pwned, which helps to raise awareness and encourage affected users to take action.

Email · Address · Password · Hash

We often see large breaches dominating headlines, but it's the smaller, seemingly insignificant leaks that can reveal broader security weaknesses across the ecosystem. Our team recently flagged a breach originating from a now-defunct U.K.-based online gaming forum called **Pooyingnaka**. What initially appeared as a simple data dump quickly revealed a startling lack of basic security practices, specifically the storage of passwords in plaintext. This detail, coupled with the age of the breach, highlights the long-tail risks associated with legacy systems and the potential for old vulnerabilities to resurface years later.

Pooyingnaka's Plaintext Passwords: A Cautionary Tale From a Defunct Gaming Forum

The breach at Pooyingnaka, impacting 73,573 users, underscores the persistent danger of inadequate data protection measures. Discovered on August 26, 2018, the breach involved the exposure of both email addresses and, critically, passwords stored in plaintext. The fact that a gaming forum, even one that is now defunct, failed to implement even basic password hashing demonstrates a profound disregard for security best practices.

The breach initially caught our attention not because of its size, but due to the method of password storage. In an era where hashing algorithms are readily available and widely understood, storing passwords in plaintext is an egregious oversight. This suggests either a lack of security expertise or a deliberate decision to prioritize convenience over security. The implications of this breach extend beyond the immediate exposure of user credentials. It highlights the potential for credential stuffing attacks, where compromised email/password combinations are used to gain unauthorized access to other online services.

The Pooyingnaka breach is a stark reminder that even smaller organizations can pose a significant security risk. The long lifespan of exposed credentials means that these accounts may still be active on other platforms, making this breach relevant to enterprises today. It also underscores the importance of regularly monitoring for leaked credentials, regardless of the source.

Key point: Total records exposed: 73,573

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

Key point: Sensitive content types: Passwords

Key point: Source structure: Database

Key point: Leak location(s): Publicly available breach databases

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

While specific coverage of the Pooyingnaka breach in major news outlets is limited due to its age and relative size, the incident aligns with broader trends in data breaches affecting online gaming communities. Several sources have documented the prevalence of credential stuffing attacks targeting gaming platforms, leveraging previously exposed email/password combinations. This breach serves as a micro-example of a much larger problem.

Email · Address · Plaintext · Password