Pop Viralist

We've been tracking a resurgence of older breaches appearing in aggregated credential stuffing lists, often targeting less secure or niche platforms. What caught our attention wasn't the volume from the Pop Viralist breach – roughly 3 million records – but the age of the data (December 2018) and its reappearance now, suggesting ongoing utility for malicious actors. This highlights the persistent risk posed by older breaches that are often overlooked as "old news," but still contain valid credentials.

Pop Viralist's Dated Data Dump Resurfaces

The Pop Viralist breach, which occurred in December 2018, exposed over 3 million user records. We discovered its re-emergence on several prominent credential stuffing lists and underground forums this week, indicating it's being actively circulated and potentially used in attacks. The breach originally caught attention due to the size of the user base and the inclusion of password hashes, but its renewed availability underscores the long tail of risk associated with compromised credentials. The data's reappearance matters to enterprises because it demonstrates how older breaches can be weaponized in automated attacks, especially targeting users who reuse passwords across multiple platforms. This ties into the broader threat theme of credential stuffing attacks leveraging readily available breach dumps.

Key point: Total records exposed: 3,092,445

Key point: Types of data included: Email Address, First Name, Last Name, Password Hash

Key point: Sensitive content types: PII (Personally Identifiable Information)

Key point: Source structure: Database

External Context & Supporting Evidence

While the Pop Viralist breach itself didn't generate widespread media coverage at the time, its impact is consistent with observed trends in credential stuffing attacks. Security researchers have documented the increasing sophistication of these attacks, which often rely on large-scale aggregation of breach data. As reported by BleepingComputer, credential stuffing attacks remain a significant threat vector, with attackers automating the process of testing stolen credentials against various online services. The reappearance of the Pop Viralist data reinforces the need for robust password hygiene and multi-factor authentication to mitigate the risk of credential reuse.

Email · Address · First · Name · Last · Password · Hash