Read Novel 2019 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
Read Novel Chinese Online Literature Platform Breach (2019): 22 Million User Accounts Including Passwords & Phone Numbers Exposed :: Authenticity Unverified
Fiction reading and online literature services.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
12/100Breach Risk Index
5Data Value
10Market Recency
1514dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Read Novel · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 7 references
Attack: Unknown
Profile: Platform · Fiction reading and online literature services · Online novel-reading platform · Global
Timeline: Breach (2019-05-01) · Indexed (May 16, 2022) · Year (2019)
Exposure: 22.4M records · 6 fields: Email Address, Gender, Password, Phone Number, Physical Address, Username
Status: Unverified
Executive Summary
In May 2019, the Chinese literature site Read Novel allegedly suffered a data breach exposing about 22.4 million unique email addresses along with usernames, genders, phone numbers, and passwords stored as salted MD5 hashes. HIBP lists the breach as unverified, meaning its provenance could not be independently confirmed.
ObscureIQ assessment: Exposure enables phishing, account takeover, and profiling based on reading preferences. Long-term reading history may also reveal personal interests and identity signals.
Breach Impact
If accurate, the phone/email/credential set supports credential stuffing and SMS/phishing targeting; the unverified status warrants caution in attribution.
About Read Novel
Read Novel (readnovel.com) is a Chinese online literature platform where users read and discuss serialized novels and web fiction.
Why They Hold Your Data
Online novel-reading platforms collect user accounts, emails, reading history, subscriptions, and engagement records tied to fiction consumption and discovery.
Recent Developments
The dataset attributed to Read Novel surfaced publicly and was indexed in 2022; HIBP lists the breach as unverified.
Data Points Exposed
6 verified field types
Email Address
Gender
Password Critical
Phone Number
Physical Address High
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
- SIM swap attacks where phone numbers are present
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
- Doxxing risk from physical address exposure
Threat vectors:
- Phishing, credential stuffing & account takeover
- Profile enrichment
- Credential stuffing & account takeover
- SIM swapping, vishing & SMS phishing
- Physical stalking, mail fraud & identity verification
- Home targeting, stalking & physical threat
- 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 Read Novel breach?▾
In May 2019, the Chinese literature site Read Novel allegedly suffered a data breach exposing about 22.4 million unique email addresses along with usernames, genders, phone numbers, and passwords stored as salted MD5 hashes. HIBP lists the breach as unverified, meaning its provenance could not be…
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Email Address, Gender, Password, Phone Number, Physical Address, 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
Keeper
Cross-source
leakfind
ObscureIQ Intelligence
ObscureIQ proprietary analysis
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