Massive Data Leak: 25K Hidden Links from cracked.io Forum Released

cracked.io is a well-known forum within the hacking and cybersecurity community. It hosts a variety of content, including combolists, leaks, cracking tutorials, and other resources aimed at individuals interested in unauthorized access and exploitation of digital systems. The forum has gained notoriety for its large and active user base, which frequently shares sensitive and illegal information.

Breach Details

• Date of Incident: June 17, 2024
• Forum Post: A user named USD0D announced they had scraped cracked.io for a collection of hidden links, comprising the last 25,000 threads.
• Data Exposed: The scraped data includes URLs to various hidden resources and threads within the forum, compiled into a CSV file, accessible via a link shared in the post.
• Download Link: The data was made available for download at https://bncdn.to/cracked.io/data.csv. This file likely contains sensitive and potentially malicious content, posing risks to those who download it.

Threat Actor Profile

• Username: USD0D
• Forum Reputation: The user had a reputation score of 881 with 113 posts and 33 threads. The user profile indicates they were part of Equation Corp, a group that might be involved in similar activities.
• Account Status: The account was banned permanently, with a "Self-Ban" reason, possibly indicating the user preemptively deactivated their account after the data was shared. The ban notice included a link to a forum ban appeal on an onion site, suggesting that this user has experience with and access to dark web services.

Impact Analysis

• Scope of Data: The release of 25,000 hidden threads likely includes a mix of personal data, compromised accounts, and tools for illicit activities. This could increase the risk for individuals whose information is included in the leaked data.
• Potential Exploits: The data could be used to facilitate further hacking attempts, phishing campaigns, or other forms of cybercrime. It also poses a threat to organizations, as it might include credentials or sensitive information that can be leveraged in cyberattacks.