Texas Wide Realty

We've been tracking an uptick in older breaches resurfacing across various hacking forums, often repackaged and sold as "new" combolists. What caught our attention with this particular dataset was not the size – around 20,099 records – but the age and the sensitive nature of the exposed data: email addresses paired with plaintext passwords. This is a stark reminder that even years after a breach, the exposed credentials can still pose a significant risk, especially if users have reused those passwords across multiple accounts. The appearance of this Texas Wide Realty data underscores the persistent threat posed by legacy breaches.

Breach Breakdown: Texas Wide Realty's Legacy Exposure

A database breach at Texas Wide Realty, a real estate brokerage in Gorman, Texas, initially occurred around August 2018. The compromised data included 20,099 user records, exposing both email addresses and, critically, plaintext passwords. The dataset recently resurfaced on a prominent hacking forum, bringing renewed attention to this older incident. The fact that passwords were stored in plaintext highlights a severe security lapse, making this breach particularly damaging. This incident matters to enterprises now because it demonstrates the enduring risk associated with poor security practices and the potential for old breaches to be exploited years later.

Key point: Total records exposed: 20,099

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

Key point: Sensitive content types: PII

Key point: Source structure: Database

Key point: Leak location(s): Hacking Forum

Key point: Date leaked: 26-Aug-2018

External Context & Supporting Evidence

While specific media coverage of the original Texas Wide Realty breach is scarce, the incident aligns with broader trends in data security. Many older breaches, often involving smaller organizations with limited security budgets, continue to circulate within underground communities. The practice of storing passwords in plaintext is a well-documented security flaw that has been exploited in numerous past breaches. The re-emergence of this data on hacking forums is consistent with the lifecycle of breached data, where it is often traded, sold, and reused in credential stuffing attacks over extended periods. The fact that the data resurfaced years later indicates a continued demand for credential lists, highlighting the importance of proactive password resets and monitoring for compromised credentials.

Email · Address · Plaintext · Password