How a Telegram Upload Turned Into the 8.3 Million StarX_ULP Leak

In December 2025, HEROIC analysts identified a combolist file circulating on Telegram, uploaded under the label StarX_ULP_24.12.2025_Part_3. The file contained 8,369,762 records pairing email addresses, plaintext passwords, and associated URLs, credentials compiled from earlier breaches and packaged together for cybercriminals to buy, trade, or use directly. Why this is dangerous: because the passwords in this file are stored in plaintext, anyone who obtains it can immediately try each email and password pair against other accounts, with no cracking or decryption needed. The URLs included with each record often show exactly which site or service the credentials belong to, giving an attacker a direct route into accounts tied to your email address. What was exposed: email addresses, plaintext passwords, and associated URLs or login links. Why this matters: combolists like this one fuel credential stuffing attacks, where automated scripts test stolen email and password pairs against banking sites, email providers, and social media platforms in bulk. If you have reused a password anywhere, a single record in this file could be enough to trigger account takeover, identity theft, or financial fraud. How combolists work: a combolist is a compiled text file that pairs email addresses or usernames with passwords, gathered from multiple earlier breaches or malware infections and merged into one master list. Criminals build and circulate these files on Telegram channels and dark web forums because it saves them the work of hunting down credentials one breach at a time, and once a combolist becomes public it can be copied and reused indefinitely. Check if you are affected: with over 400 billion records in its database, HEROIC's free breach scanner can tell you in seconds whether your email address appears in this leak or any other breach on record. If it does, HEROIC will show you exactly what data was exposed so you can change passwords and secure your accounts before someone else uses them against you.