Important – Editor’s Note:
The following claims originated from a Telegram account previously associated with ShinyHunters, before the seizure of Breach Forums. However, Hackread.com cannot verify whether the account is still used by the original ShinyHunters hacker.
Therefore, Hackread.com strongly advises readers against engaging in any cybercrime activities. If considering registration on a cybercrime forum, proceed at your own risk.
ShinyHunters, the hacker group and primary administrator of Breach Forums informed Hackread.com that they regained access to the forum’s clear net and dark web domains on May 16, 2024. This also included the Escrow domain and a parked domain, Breached.in.
In an exclusive conversation with Hackread.com, ShinyHunters revealed that one of the Breach Forums’ administrators, operating under the alias Baphomet, had been apprehended by law enforcement. Consequently, authorities gained access to login credentials for the entire infrastructure of Breach Forums, including the backend.
However, on Friday, ShinyHunters contacted the domain registrar of Breach Forums and successfully regained access. Hence, at the time of writing, the seizure notice from the clear net domain of Breach Forums was removed, and it was replaced with a “Site Temporarily Unavailable” message. Additionally, a link to a Telegram group chat operated by ShinyHunters and other moderators of the forum was provided.
A Quick Background:
ShinyHunters’ claims emerged just a day following Hackread.com’s report on the FBI’s seizure of Breach Forums, a platform notorious for cybercrime, hacking, data breaches, and leaks.
While widely circulated, there has been no official confirmation of the operation from law enforcement agencies. On May 15, 2024, all domains associated with Breach Forums were defaced with a seizure notice by the FBI.
The notice on these sites revealed the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and international partners from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Iceland.
Breach Forums Goes Down, New Forums Gearing Up to Surface
The cycle of cybercrime continues unabated. Authorities dismantle one forum, only for another to emerge within days. This trend is evident in the case of Breach Forums. A member of Breach Forums and a notorious threat actor known as USDoD has announced plans to resurrect the forum with the same theme and format but under a different name.
According to USDoD, the new forum will be called Breach Nation instead of Breach Forums. This mirrors the pattern seen with the takedown of Raid Forums and the subsequent emergence of Breach Forums. However, it’s worth noting that this trajectory did not end well for the administrator PomPomPurin, who was arrested in New York and received a 20-year supervised sentence.
Commenting on this, Omri Weinberg, Co-founder and CRO at DoControl, a New York City-based provider of automated SaaS security said “Despite the FBI’s successful seizure of BreachForums, its swift reappearance is no surprise, as it has resurfaced before reflecting the ongoing challenge faced by law enforcement in the digital age.“
“While law enforcement can temporarily disrupt these illicit activities, the underlying infrastructure and financial motivation of cybercriminals remain robust, while the re-emergence of BreachForums means that previously compromised data may once again be at risk of exposure,“ Omri warned.
He also advised that “Organizations must remain proactive in monitoring and securing their digital assets, ensuring they have processes in place to assess the materiality of exposed data and respond appropriately.“
Nevertheless, Hackread.com continues to monitor the situation closely. This article will be updated accordingly, and readers can expect new reports as soon as federal authorities in the United States release official confirmation and provide clarity on the situation.
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