**BreachForums Database Leak Turns the Tables on Threat Actors**
In a surprising turn of events, cybercriminals who use the BreachForums dark web site may soon have their identities exposed after a database related to the forum was leaked online.
The leak, which occurred on Friday, was announced by a website named after the ShinyHunters hacking collective, shinyhunte[.]rs, which released a Zip archive containing the SQL database and accompanying it with a lengthy message and a PGP key.
According to cybersecurity firm Resecurity, the leaked database includes metadata of 323,986 users extracted from MySQL DB table named 'hcclmafd2jnkwmfufmybb_users' relevant to MyBB, an open-source forum software. The database could have been acquired as a result of a web application vulnerability in a CMS or through possible misconfiguration.
Rescurity has warned that the database may be tampered with by malicious actors trying to booby-trap it with malware, and urged anyone interested in accessing the database to download it from their own site.
The database contains usernames and IP addresses of users, but some of the latter are thought to be a loopback address, making it impossible to trace the individual. While some records may be authentic and can be cross-checked with other sources, others have been edited or contain non-existent information.
It's unclear who is behind the leak, as the accompanying manifesto appears to be written by an individual named "James" and mentions several individuals with suspected ties to BreachForums. The current administrator of BreachForums, "N/A," has responded by claiming that James is a former member of ShinyHunters and that their information leaked in the database is entirely false.
The leak comes at a time when BreachForums was facing yet another disruption after being seized and shuttered in August 2025. The site was previously run by Conor Brian Fitzpatrick (pompompurin) until his arrest in 2023, and was succeeded by various iterations before its most recent closure.
The implications of this leak are significant, as it may allow law enforcement to identify and track down threat actors who use BreachForums. As one security expert noted, "The database could be a game-changer for investigators trying to take down BreachForums and its users."
As the situation continues to unfold, it's clear that this leak has turned the tables on threat actors and may lead to significant consequences for those involved in cybercrime.
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