Free France Data Breach
Status: Confirmed
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Free France · Actor: drussellx · Source: DataBreach.com / ObscureIQ intelligence
Attack: Phishing via Phishing
Timeline: Breach (Oct, 2024) · Reported (Jan, 2026) · Leak (1/6/26)
Exposure: 18.0M+ records · Email, Phone Number, Name
Status: Confirmed · Risk: Low (Phishing / SIM swap)
Summary
In October 2024 Free (Free.fr) France’s second-largest internet service provider, suffered a massive data breach attributed to a cybercriminal known as “drussellx who auctioned the stolen database on the BreachForums dark web marketplace. The breach which Free confirmed involved unauthorized access to an internal management tool affected virtually the entire subscriber base-approximately 18 million customers. While the company stated that passwords and credit card contents were not compromised the leak exposed highly sensitive financial and personal identifiers specifically targeting millions of International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) raising immediate concerns about direct debit fraud and large-scale phishing campaigns targeting French citizens.
About Free France
Free France 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 Free France in any capacity, your data may be included in this breach.
Threat Actor: drussellx
This breach has been attributed to drussellx. The group is known for data theft campaigns targeting organizations through various intrusion methods.
- Phishing
Breach Exploitation Status
Low
Status
Unknown
Possible
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
1–3 years
Email addresses and usernames persist but credentials may rotate. Phishing risk remains elevated during this window.
Data Points Exposed
Dark Web Verification
Status: Confirmed
- Dataset containing approximately 18.0M+ records has been identified in breach intelligence sources.
- The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.
Impact
This breach carries low risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.
- Targeted phishing referencing Free France accounts or services
- SIM-swap attempts where phone numbers are present
- Data broker enrichment and resale
Recommendations for Impacted Individuals
If you believe your information may be included:
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Free France account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Oct, 2024, Free France experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 18.0M+ records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes Email, Phone Number, Name.
Approximately 18.0M+ records were affected based on current breach intelligence.
Yes. This breach is treated as confirmed based on data observed in breach intelligence platforms.
Data circulation has been reported across breach-sharing channels. Downstream exploitation risk exists based on the nature of the exposed fields.
Rotate passwords associated with Free France, 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.
- A public-facing individual
- A high-profile executive
- A customer of Free France
- Or simply concerned about credential reuse
We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.