ELEVATED RISK BREACH

Astropid Data Breach


Status: Confirmed

6K+Records
Dec, 2013Breach
7/6/14Data Posted
6/10Severity
ModerateThreat Level

Breach Intelligence Summary


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

Attack: Social Engineering via Social engineering

Timeline: Breach (Dec, 2013) · Reported (Jul, 2014) · Leak (7/6/14)

Exposure: 6K+ records · Email, Instant messenger identities, IP addresses, Names, Passwords, Private messages, Usernames, Website activity

Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Account takeover)

Summary

In December 2013, the vBulletin forum for the social engineering site known as “AstroPID” was breached and leaked publicly. The site provided tips on fraudulently obtaining goods and services, often by providing a legitimate “PID” or Product Information Description. The breach resulted in nearly 6k user accounts and over 220k private messages between forum members being exposed.

About Astropid

Astropid 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 Astropid 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:
  • Social engineering

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:
1–3 years

Email addresses and usernames persist but credentials may rotate. Phishing risk remains elevated during this window.

Data Points Exposed

Data observed in the leaked dataset:
Email
Instant messenger identities
IP addresses
Names
Passwords
Private messages
Usernames
Website activity
Not confirmed in dataset:
Social Security Numbers
Payment card data
Passport numbers

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 6K+ 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 Astropid accounts or services
  • Credential stuffing against accounts sharing the same password
  • Physical mail scams and address-based identity verification fraud
  • 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:
Astropid 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 Astropid 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 Astropid data breach?

In Dec, 2013, Astropid experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 6K+ records containing personal information.

What data was exposed in the Astropid breach?

The exposed data includes Email, Instant messenger identities, IP addresses, Names, Passwords, Private messages, Usernames, Website activity.

How many records were affected in the Astropid breach?

Approximately 6K+ records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Is the Astropid breach confirmed?

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

Is the Astropid 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 Astropid breach?

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

Protect Yourself

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High-Risk? Get an Exposure Audit

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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 Astropid
  • 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

Social Engineering
Passwords
Email
Address