Youku 2016 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
Youku Chinese Video Streaming Platform Breach (2016): 92 Million User Accounts Including MD5 Passwords Exposed
Chinese video streaming service.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
12/100Breach Risk Index
5Data Value
10Market Recency
3371dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Youku · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 11 references
Attack: Unknown
Profile: Platform · Video streaming and content services · Digital media platform · China
Timeline: Breach (2016-12-01) · Indexed (Apr 15, 2017) · Year (2016)
Exposure: 91.9M records · 2 fields: Email Address, Password
Status: Confirmed
Executive Summary
In late 2016, the Chinese video platform Youku suffered a data breach exposing about 91.9 million unique accounts. Exposed data comprised email addresses and passwords stored as MD5 hashes.
ObscureIQ assessment: Primary risks include account takeover and profiling. Behavioral data can support targeted advertising abuse or phishing.
Breach Impact
MD5 hashes are readily cracked, so the breach effectively exposed large numbers of usable credentials, driving credential-stuffing risk especially across Chinese-language services.
About Youku
Youku is a major Chinese online video and streaming platform, part of the Alibaba group, offering user-uploaded and licensed video content to a large audience.
Why They Hold Your Data
Video streaming platforms collect account data, viewing behavior, device information, and engagement patterns tied to media consumption.
Recent Developments
Youku continued operating as a leading Chinese video service. The breached credentials circulated on dark-web marketplaces.
Data Points Exposed
2 verified field types
Email Address
Password Critical
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
- Credential stuffing & account takeover
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 Youku breach?▾
In late 2016, the Chinese video platform Youku suffered a data breach exposing about 91.9 million unique accounts. Exposed data comprised email addresses and passwords stored as MD5 hashes.
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Email Address, Password.
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
Dehashed
Cross-source
Hashes.org
Cross-source
Keeper
Cross-source
LeakBase.pw
Cross-source
leakfind
ObscureIQ Intelligence
ObscureIQ proprietary analysis
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