Freedom Hosting II Data Breach
Status: Confirmed
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Freedom Hosting II · Actor: Unknown · Source: Have I Been Pwned / ObscureIQ intelligence
Attack: Data Exfiltration via Under investigation
Timeline: Breach (Jan, 2017) · Reported (Feb, 2017) · Leak (2/5/17)
Exposure: 381K+ records · Email, Passwords, Usernames
Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Account takeover)
Summary
In January 2017 the free hidden service host Freedom Hosting II suffered a data breach. The attack allegedly took down 20% of dark web sites running behind Tor hidden services with the attacker claiming that of the 10 613 impacted sites more than 50% of the content was child pornography. The hack led to the exposure of MySQL databases for the sites which included a vast amount of information on the hidden services Freedom Hosting II was managing. The impacted data classes far exceeds those listed for the breach and differ between the thousands of impacted sites. As this breach has been flagged as sensitive it is not publicly searchable. To see the exposure of email addresses in this breach, sign in to your dashboard and review results for your email address in the “Breaches” section under “Personal”, or search any domains you control in the “Domains” section under “Business”.
About Freedom Hosting II
Freedom Hosting II 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 Freedom Hosting II 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.
- Under investigation
Breach Exploitation Status
Moderate
Status
Detected
Detected
Possible
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 381K+ 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.
- Targeted phishing referencing Freedom Hosting II accounts or services
- Credential stuffing against accounts sharing the same password
- 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.
Freedom Hosting II account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Jan, 2017, Freedom Hosting II experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 381K+ records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes Email, Passwords, Usernames.
Approximately 381K+ 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 detected across breach-sharing channels. Downstream exploitation risk exists based on the nature of the exposed fields.
Rotate passwords associated with Freedom Hosting II, 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.
- A public-facing individual
- A high-profile executive
- A customer of Freedom Hosting II
- Or simply concerned about credential reuse
We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.