The Hotmail Hits Leak Means Someone Could Already Be in Your Inbox

In June 2026, HEROIC analysts discovered a combolist named "Hotmail Hits" uploaded to a Telegram channel by an unnamed user. The file contained 858 records, each combining an email address, a plaintext password, and the URL of the login page it corresponds to. As the name implies, this batch is a collection of confirmed working, or "hit," Hotmail logins gathered and shared as a single package. Why This Is Dangerous: Because these 858 passwords are stored in plain text, no additional cracking or decoding is needed before someone can use them. Each record comes paired with its login URL, so whoever finds this file can go straight to the account and attempt to sign in with no extra work. What Was Exposed: - Email addresses - Plaintext passwords - URLs for the associated login pages Why This Matters: A compromised Hotmail account can quietly become the key to someone's entire online life. If an attacker gains access to one of these 858 accounts, they can use it to intercept password reset emails for banking, shopping, or social media accounts tied to that same address, effectively unlocking far more than just an inbox. How Combolists Work: A combolist is a bundled file of email or username and password combinations drawn from multiple past breaches, stealer logs, and prior leaks, then packaged as a single downloadable list. Files labeled "hits," like this one, typically indicate the credentials have already been tested and confirmed to work, making them especially attractive to buyers on Telegram and dark web forums. Check If You Are Affected: If you use a Hotmail account, it is worth confirming whether your login is part of this file. HEROIC's free breach scanner searches a database of more than 400 billion breached records, including combolists like Hotmail Hits, so you can check your exposure in seconds and secure your account if needed.