iMesh 2013 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
iMesh File-Sharing Media Client Breach (2013): 51 Million User Accounts Exposed and Sold on Dark Web
Media sharing and digital content services.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
23/100Breach Risk Index
5Data Value
25Market Recency
584dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: iMesh · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 9 references
Attack: Unknown
Profile: Platform · Media sharing and digital content services · File sharing and media client platform · Global
Timeline: Breach (2013-09-22) · Indexed (Dec 01, 2024) · Year (2013)
Exposure: 51.3M records · 4 fields: Email Address, IP Address, Password, Username
Status: Confirmed
Executive Summary
In September 2013, the file-sharing service iMesh was hacked and 51,310,727 accounts were exposed, though the full scale only emerged in 2016 when the data surfaced for sale. Exposed data included email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, and passwords stored as double-salted MD5 hashes, along with country and join-date metadata.
ObscureIQ assessment: Exposure enables phishing, account takeover, and profiling based on media or file-sharing behavior. Platform affiliation may also create reputational or legal sensitivity.
Breach Impact
Despite salting, the MD5-based scheme is weak by modern standards, exposing many recoverable passwords and driving credential-stuffing risk from reused credentials.
About iMesh
iMesh was a media and peer-to-peer file-sharing client that let users share and download music and other media within a large user community.
Why They Hold Your Data
Media-sharing platforms collect user accounts, emails, download behavior, client activity, and content-sharing records tied to file-transfer and media-discovery workflows.
Recent Developments
iMesh later shut down. The breached data surfaced for sale on a dark-web marketplace in 2016, years after the original compromise.
Data Points Exposed
4 verified field types
Email Address
IP Address
Password Critical
Username
Field names are shown in full for clarity and search visibility. Canonical machine keys are emitted only in this page’s structured data.
Exploitation & Downstream Threats
Threat Activity:Moderate
Primary downstream threats:
- Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
Threat vectors:
- Phishing, credential stuffing & account takeover
- Geolocation & account flagging
- Credential stuffing & account takeover
- Cross-platform tracking & credential stuffing
Recommended Actions
If you believe your information may be included:
Change Reused Passwords
Update this account and anywhere you reused the password; use a manager.
Enable MFA Everywhere
Turn on multi-factor authentication on email first, then financial accounts.
Report & Recover
If you spot misuse, start an official recovery plan and report fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the iMesh breach?▾
In September 2013, the file-sharing service iMesh was hacked and 51,310,727 accounts were exposed, though the full scale only emerged in 2016 when the data surfaced for sale. Exposed data included email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, and passwords stored as double-salted MD5 hashes, along with…
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Email Address, IP Address, Password, Username.
What should I do if I was affected?▾
Change reused passwords, enable MFA, and (if identity or financial data is involved) freeze your credit and monitor your accounts.
Sources & References
Every claim on this page is traceable. This breach draws on:
Breach Index
Breach Index
Cross-source
9ghz
Cross-source
BreachForums_Official_Index
Cross-source
DataViper.io
Cross-source
Hashes.org
Cross-source
Keeper
Cross-source
leakfind
ObscureIQ Intelligence
ObscureIQ proprietary analysis
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