Hacker database gets hacked, leaks 324,000 accounts

Irony, thy name is hacking.

BreachForums, an infamous forum used by hackers to distribute leaked and stolen data, recently suffered a data breach of its own, resulting in the compromise of almost 324,000 accounts. According to Bleeping Computer, an archive containing an SQL file, a text file, and a PGP key file popped up on a "website named after the ShinyHunters extortion gang."

The pièce de résistance is the SQL file, which contains data points like usernames, IP addresses, and registration dates, among other things. Most of the IP addresses in the file are simple loopback addresses, but some (70,296, per Bleeping Computer) are public IP addresses that could be used to track down the attached user account. 

Further exacerbating the adage that there is no honor among thieves, the hackers behind the breach (ShinyHunters) claimed that BreachForums is actually a "honeypot," meaning it is a fake website used by law enforcement to lure in unsuspecting malicious actors. 

The administrator of BreachForums stated that the leaked files were stored in "an unsecured folder" while the forum was migrated from its old domain to its current one. It should also be noted that this is not the first time BreachForums has suffered a data breach. 

BreachForums acts as a marketplace for hackers and malicious parties to sell hacking tools and stolen data. It was seized by law enforcement on August 11, 2025 and the domain was shut down. It has since migrated to its current website.