ELEVATED RISK BREACH

Android Forums Data Breach


Status: Confirmed

745K+Records
Oct, 2011Breach
12/20/15Data Posted
7/10Severity
ModerateThreat Level

Breach Intelligence Summary


Entity: Android Forums · Actor: Unknown · Source: Have I Been Pwned / ObscureIQ intelligence

Attack: Data Exfiltration via Under investigation

Timeline: Breach (Oct, 2011) · Reported (Dec, 2015) · Leak (12/20/15)

Exposure: 745K+ records · Dates of birth, Email, Homepage URLs, Instant messenger identities, IP addresses, Passwords

Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Account takeover)

Summary

In October 2011 the Android Forums website was hacked and 745k user accounts were subsequently leaked publicly. The compromised data included email addresses user birth dates and passwords stored as a salted MD5 hash.

About Android Forums

Android Forums is the organization affected by this breach. User data may have been generated through account creation, service usage, or business operations.

If you have interacted with Android Forums in any capacity, your data may be included in this breach.

Threat Actor: Unknown

The threat actor responsible for this breach has not been publicly identified or confirmed at this time.

Reported or suspected access method:
  • Under investigation

Breach Exploitation Status

Threat Activity:
Moderate
Signal
Status
Dark web marketplace listings
Detected
Credential stuffing list overlap
Detected
Phishing campaign relevance
Possible
Ransomware affiliate crossover
Unknown
Law enforcement investigation visibility
Unknown

Data Longevity:
5+ years (high persistence)

Dates of birth are permanent and addresses change slowly. Combined with other fields, this data sustains long-tail targeting risk.

Data Points Exposed

Data observed in the leaked dataset:
Dates of birth
Email
Homepage URLs
Instant messenger identities
IP addresses
Passwords
Not confirmed in dataset:
Social Security Numbers
Payment card data
Passport numbers

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 745K+ records has been identified in breach intelligence sources.
  • The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.

Impact

This breach carries moderate risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.

Primary downstream threats include:
  • Targeted phishing referencing Android Forums accounts or services
  • Credential stuffing against accounts sharing the same password
  • Physical mail scams and address-based identity verification fraud
  • Age/DOB used to bypass identity verification questions
  • Data broker enrichment and resale

Recommendations for Impacted Individuals

If you believe your information may be included:

Check Your Exposure
If you are an ObscureIQ client, this breach has been indexed into your exposure profile.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Expect Targeted Phishing
Watch for messages referencing:
Android Forums account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Secure Your Email and MFA
Enable MFA immediately on email first, then financial platforms.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Rotate Reused Passwords
Change any credentials shared with your Android Forums account across other services.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Monitor accounts associated with your exposed email for unauthorized activity.
Suppress Personal Data
Remove exposed addresses, phone numbers, and enrichment data from broker networks and search engines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the Android Forums data breach?

In Oct, 2011, Android Forums experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 745K+ records containing personal information.

What data was exposed in the Android Forums breach?

The exposed data includes Dates of birth, Email, Homepage URLs, Instant messenger identities, IP addresses, Passwords.

How many records were affected in the Android Forums breach?

Approximately 745K+ records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Is the Android Forums breach confirmed?

Yes. This breach is treated as confirmed based on data observed in breach intelligence platforms.

Is the Android Forums breach data being used by criminals?

Data circulation has been detected across breach-sharing channels. Downstream exploitation risk exists based on the nature of the exposed fields.

What should I do if I was affected by the Android Forums breach?

Rotate passwords associated with Android Forums, enable multi-factor authentication on email and financial accounts, and monitor for suspicious activity.

Protect Yourself

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Corporate Accountability

Organizations that collect personal data have a duty to implement reasonable safeguards and to notify affected individuals when breaches occur.

Scope assessments may evolve as investigations continue. Users should not rely solely on early estimates when making risk decisions.

ObscureIQ Advisory

We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.

If you are:
  • A public-facing individual
  • A high-profile executive
  • A customer of Android Forums
  • Or simply concerned about credential reuse

We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.

Services
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Classification Tags

Data Exfiltration
Passwords
Email
Address