MrExcel Data Breach
Status: Confirmed
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: MrExcel · Actor: Unknown · Source: Have I Been Pwned / ObscureIQ intelligence
Attack: Data Exfiltration via Under investigation
Timeline: Breach (Dec, 2016) · Reported (Jan, 2017) · Leak (1/22/17)
Exposure: 366K+ records · Dates of birth, Email, IP addresses, Passwords, Social connections, Usernames, Website activity
Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Account takeover)
Summary
In December 2016 the forum for the Microsoft Excel tips and solutions site Mr Excel suffered a data breach. The hack of the vBulletin forum led to the exposure of over 366k accounts along with email and IP addresses dates of birth and salted passwords hashed with MD5. The owner of the MrExcel forum subsequently self-submitted the data to HIBP.
About MrExcel
MrExcel 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 MrExcel 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
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
Dark Web Verification
Status: Confirmed
- Dataset containing approximately 366K+ 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 MrExcel 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:
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
MrExcel account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Dec, 2016, MrExcel experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 366K+ records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes Dates of birth, Email, IP addresses, Passwords, Social connections, Usernames, Website activity.
Approximately 366K+ 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 MrExcel, 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 MrExcel
- Or simply concerned about credential reuse
We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.