BreachForums Reboot Emerges Under Suspect Admin as 918 Stolen Databases Leak
A new BreachForums reboot appeared online with an administrator using the handle "X", who claimed the forum had been rebuilt after its infrastructure, database, and source code were hacked from a hosting server and the prior operator "N/A" abandoned the project. The alleged revival was quickly disputed: ShinyHunters publicly denied any role in the new site and said it had not operated BreachForums since the FBI seizure in October 2025. Researchers also pointed to inconsistencies in X's account, raising doubts about whether the latest site is a legitimate successor, a copycat operation, or a setup using leaked forum data.
The confusion comes amid a broader compromise tied to the BreachForums ecosystem, including the leak on Telegram of 918 databases previously sold through the forum. Reporting said the exposed trove contains personal and sensitive data from numerous historical breaches, creating renewed opportunities for phishing, ransomware, and espionage. Multiple BreachForums-branded sites are now online, complicating attribution and increasing the possibility that some may be impersonation efforts, criminal competition, or potential law enforcement honeypots following repeated takedowns of major cybercrime forums.
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How this story unfolded
5 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Researchers question legitimacy of the new BreachForums site
Reporting and researcher analysis identified inconsistencies in X's account and suggested the reboot may rely on leaked data or otherwise be illegitimate. Multiple BreachForums-branded sites appearing online further complicated attribution and raised possibilities including copycats or law enforcement honeypots.
ShinyHunters denies involvement in latest BreachForums revival
After the new site appeared, ShinyHunters publicly denied any role in reviving BreachForums and said it had not run the forum since the October 2025 FBI seizure. The denial undermined claims that the reboot was an authentic continuation of the prior forum.
BreachForums reboot appears under new admin "X"
In early April 2026, a new BreachForums-branded site surfaced with an administrator calling themselves "X." X claimed the forum had been rebuilt after the prior infrastructure, database, and source code were hacked from its hosting server and the previous admin "N/A" abandoned the project.
918 previously sold BreachForums databases leak on Telegram
In March 2026, 918 databases previously sold through BreachForums were leaked on Telegram, exposing centralized access to historical stolen data from many organizations. Researchers warned the leak could enable phishing, ransomware, and espionage.
FBI seizes BreachForums infrastructure
ShinyHunters said it had not operated BreachForums since the FBI seizure of the forum on October 10, 2025. This seizure became the reference point for later disputes over who controlled subsequent BreachForums-branded sites.
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ShinyHunters Leaks 300,000 BreachForums User Records After Exiting Forum
ShinyHunters said it has abandoned **BreachForums** and released an updated database affecting more than **300,000 users** of the cybercrime marketplace. Reports say the leak goes beyond basic credentials and includes full account profile and activity data, including usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, salts, IP addresses, login metadata, and forum activity timestamps. The group said maintaining the forum ecosystem became a "waste of time" after the FBI seizure of BreachForums and claimed that all currently active BreachForums domains are fake. ShinyHunters also threatened to publish fuller backups — including private messages, posts, and additional user data — unless the remaining forums shut down, while asserting it holds exploits for all **MyBB 1.8** versions; the identity of the operators behind current BreachForums instances remains unclear, with speculation ranging from opportunistic criminals to possible law enforcement honeypots.
Apr 30, 2026
BreachForums Breaches Expose User Data After MyBB Zero-Day Compromise
BreachForums suffered repeated compromises that exposed member data across multiple iterations of the cybercrime forum. An earlier breach leaked details on about **4,000 members**, while a later incident tied to the forum's reboot reportedly spilled data on roughly **325,000 users**, underscoring the scale of exposure affecting one of the most prominent underground marketplaces. Reporting on the more recent compromise said the forum was hit through a **MyBB `0-day`** affecting unpatched software, with forum administrators claiming the intrusion was also linked to a broader law-enforcement crackdown. The incident disrupted the platform, prompted leadership changes including the emergence of a new admin, and highlighted how even criminal forums remain vulnerable to the same software flaws, operational failures, and data-security lapses that they routinely exploit in others.
May 25, 2026
BreachForums Data Breach and Dark Web Data Leaks
A major data breach has exposed the entire user database of BreachForums, a prominent English-language hacking forum on the dark web. The breach was announced on the shinyhunte[.]rs platform, which published a message and made the leaked database available for download and analysis. BreachForums, which had previously replaced RaidForums after its seizure, has been a central hub for cybercriminal activity, including the distribution of stolen data and hacking tools. The forum has faced multiple shutdowns and seizures, but continued to operate under new management and through various hosting providers and domains. In addition to the BreachForums breach, recent activity on dark web forums has included the sale and sharing of data from a South Korean university and a Saudi Arabian employment platform. These incidents highlight the ongoing risks posed by data leaks and breaches on dark web marketplaces, where sensitive information is traded and discussed. Security researchers have made related indicators of compromise (IOCs) and analysis available to subscribers, emphasizing the need for vigilance among organizations whose data may be exposed in such forums.
Mar 21, 2026