Uh oh, another big fucking email hack is wreaking havoc on the internet again. This time, a whopping 711 million email addresses and associated passwords have been stolen and dumped on a server in the Netherlands.
The data was collected by a spambot called Onliner, which is designed to spread shitty malware that steals banking details and uses infected computers to spread itself, along with a fuckload of spam.
Luckily, the handy website HaveIBeenPwned has made it easy for you to check if your email is among the huge amount of compromised data. Simply go to the website and search for your email address and if it’s on the list, you should change your password immediately.
Troy Hunt, the owner of HIBP, said the leak was “the largest single set of data I’ve ever loaded into HIBP”.
“Just for a sense of scale, that’s almost one address for every single man, woman and child in all of Europe,” he said. Christ alive.
Even Troy himself was caught up in the leak, with his email address appearing on the list twice. Along with the possibility of your account being turned into a fucking spam factory, you’ll also likely cop a deluge of spam yourself.
The Onliner – which is also what I like to call myself for spending a tremendous amount of time on the internet – is best known for spreading the Ursnif trojan virus, which steals the login details of online bank accounts.
“The malicious software contained a server-based component located on an IP address in the Netherlands which exposed a large number of files containing personal information,” the HIBP website reads.
Details of the Dutch server have been handed to police, so hopefully that shit will be turned off real soon. Until then, change your passwords, hey.
Old mate also did a full write-up on the data in his blog titled Inside the Massive 711 Million Record Onliner Spambot Dump, which you can read here.
