Wiener Büchereien 2019.0 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
Wiener Büchereien Vienna Public Library System Breach (2019): 224K User Accounts Including Passwords Exposed
Public library system in Vienna.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
22/100Breach Risk Index
12Data Value
10Market Recency
2567dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Wiener Büchereien · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 3 references
Attack: Unknown
Profile: Government entity · Public library services · Municipal library system · Austria
Timeline: Breach (2019-06-10) · Indexed (Jun 28, 2019) · Year (2019.0)
Exposure: 224K records · 5 fields: Date of Birth, Email Address, Full Name, Phone Number, Physical Address
Status: Confirmed
Executive Summary
In June 2019, the Vienna public library system (Wiener Büchereien) was breached, and 224,000 unique email addresses along with names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth were posted to Twitter. The hacker published the data after the city and libraries did not respond to warnings about the exposure.
ObscureIQ assessment: Exposure enables phishing and identity theft, but also privacy harm through reading history and civic participation records. Library data can reveal interests, ideology, language, or family status.
Breach Impact
The identity and contact data with DOB supports profiling and targeted phishing of library patrons; no passwords were exposed.
About Wiener Büchereien
Wiener Büchereien is the public library system of the city of Vienna, Austria.
Why They Hold Your Data
Municipal library systems collect patron identity, contact details, borrowing history, account records, fines, and program-participation data across public library services.
Data Points Exposed
5 verified field types
Date of Birth High
Email Address
Full Name High
Phone Number
Physical Address High
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:
- Identity verification bypass using name + date of birth combination
- SIM swap attacks where phone numbers are present
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
- Doxxing risk from physical address exposure
Threat vectors:
- Identity verification bypass
- Phishing, credential stuffing & account takeover
- Name-based social engineering
- SIM swapping, vishing & SMS phishing
- Physical stalking, mail fraud & identity verification
Recommended Actions
If you believe your information may be included:
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 Wiener Büchereien breach?▾
In June 2019, the Vienna public library system (Wiener Büchereien) was breached, and 224,000 unique email addresses along with names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth were posted to Twitter. The hacker published the data after the city and libraries did not respond to warnings…
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Date of Birth, Email Address, Full Name, Phone Number, Physical Address.
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:
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