Pornhub hit by massive user data leak exposing 200 million records

Pornhub is dealing with caller fallout aft the hacking radical ShinyHunters claimed work for a monolithic idiosyncratic information leak. The radical says it stole 94GB of information tied to much than 200 cardinal records and is present attempting to extort the institution for a Bitcoin ransom.

According to reporting from BleepingComputer, the hackers accidental they volition people the information if their demands are not met. Pornhub has acknowledged the concern but maintains its halfway systems were not breached.

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DATA BREACH EXPOSES 400K BANK CUSTOMERS’ INFO

Pornhub is facing caller fallout aft hackers claimed to bargain millions of idiosyncratic records tied to Premium accounts. The radical is threatening to merchandise delicate enactment information unless paid successful Bitcoin. (Philip Dulian/picture confederation via Getty Images)

What information ShinyHunters claims to person stolen

ShinyHunters says the exposed information focuses connected Pornhub Premium users. While nary fiscal accusation was included, the dataset inactive contains highly delicate enactment details.

The radical claims the stolen records include:

• Email addresses
• Activity type
• Location
• Video URLs and video names
• Keywords linked to videos
• Timestamps showing erstwhile the enactment occurred

Activity logs reportedly amusement whether a idiosyncratic watched oregon downloaded a video oregon viewed a channel. Search histories are besides included, which raises superior privateness concerns if the information is released publicly.

How Mixpanel is connected to the breach

The alleged breach appears linked to a abstracted November information incidental involving Mixpanel, a information analytics vendor that antecedently worked with Pornhub. That earlier breach occurred aft a smishing onslaught gave menace actors entree to Mixpanel systems. However, Mixpanel says it does not judge Pornhub information came from that incident. The institution stated it recovered nary grounds that the information was taken during its November 2025 breach. Pornhub has besides clarified that it stopped moving with Mixpanel successful 2021. That means the stolen information would beryllium respective years old. Reuters contacted immoderate Pornhub customers to verify the claims. Those users confirmed the information tied to their accounts was close but outdated, which aligns with the Mixpanel timeline.

What Pornhub says was not exposed

Pornhub moved rapidly to reassure users pursuing the reports. In a information notice, the institution said:

"This was not a breach of Pornhub Premium's systems. Passwords, outgo details and fiscal accusation stay unafraid and were not exposed."

That favoritism reduces the contiguous hazard of fiscal fraud. However, vulnerability of viewing habits and hunt enactment inactive carries semipermanent privateness risks. We reached retired to Pornhub for a comment, but did not perceive backmost earlier our deadline.

Why ShinyHunters remains a superior threat

ShinyHunters has been linked to immoderate of the astir disruptive information breaches this year. The radical relies heavy connected societal engineering tactics specified as phishing and smishing to summation entree to firm systems. Once inside, the radical typically steals ample datasets and uses extortion threats to unit companies into paying ransoms. This strategy has affected businesses and users worldwide.

PASSWORD MANAGER FINED AFTER MAJOR DATA BREACH

A hacking radical says it obtained years-old Pornhub Premium idiosyncratic data, including viewing enactment and hunt history. Pornhub says its halfway systems were not breached. (Donato Fasano/Getty Images)

Pornhub warns Premium members astir nonstop interaction from hackers

Pornhub has updated its online connection to pass Premium members astir imaginable nonstop interaction from cybercriminals. In cases involving big platforms, this benignant of outreach often escalates into sextortion attempts, wherever criminals endanger to exposure backstage enactment unless victims pay.

"We are alert that the individuals liable for this incidental person threatened to interaction impacted Pornhub Premium users directly. You whitethorn truthful person emails claiming they person your idiosyncratic information. As a reminder, we volition ne'er inquire for your password oregon outgo accusation by email."

Pornhub remains 1 of the world's astir visited big video platforms. People tin presumption contented anonymously oregon make accounts to upload and interact with videos. 

PETCO CONFIRMS MAJOR DATA BREACH INVOLVING CUSTOMER DATA

ShinyHunters claims work for a monolithic Pornhub information leak involving alleged idiosyncratic enactment records. The institution says passwords and outgo details stay secure. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Ways to enactment harmless aft a information breach

Even if the information is respective years old, users should instrumentality this accidental to fortify their integer security.

1) Change your passwords

Start by updating your Pornhub password. Next, alteration the password for immoderate email oregon outgo relationship linked to it. Using a password manager makes it easier to make and store strong, unsocial passwords.

Next, spot if your email has been exposed successful past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com/Passwords) prime includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email code oregon passwords person appeared successful known leaks. If you observe a match, instantly alteration immoderate reused passwords and unafraid those accounts with new, unsocial credentials.

Check retired the champion expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com

2) Stay alert for phishing attempts and instal beardown antivirus software 

Data breaches often pb to follow-up scams. Be cautious of emails, texts oregon telephone calls that notation Pornhub oregon relationship issues. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments oregon sharing idiosyncratic accusation unless you tin verify the source. Installing a beardown antivirus programme adds different furniture of defence against malicious links and downloads.

The champion mode to safeguard yourself from malicious links that instal malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person beardown antivirus bundle installed connected each your devices. This extortion tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your idiosyncratic accusation and integer assets safe.

Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

3) Use a information removal work to bounds aboriginal exposure

Data removal services enactment to region your idiosyncratic accusation from information broker websites that cod and merchantability details specified arsenic email addresses, locations and online identifiers. If leaked information from this breach is shared, resold oregon cross-referenced with broker databases, removing your accusation tin marque it overmuch harder for scammers to link it to you.

This measurement is particularly important aft high-profile breaches involving enactment data. Shrinking what is publically disposable astir you reduces the hazard of targeted phishing, impersonation and semipermanent privateness harm.

Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a escaped scan to find retired if your idiosyncratic accusation is already retired connected the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete

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4) Consider individuality theft protection

Identity Theft companies tin show idiosyncratic accusation specified arsenic your Social Security Number (SSN), telephone number, and email code and alert you if it is being sold connected the acheronian web oregon utilized to unfastened an account. Early warnings tin assistance bounds harm if your information surfaces. They tin besides assistance you successful freezing your slope and recognition paper accounts to forestall further unauthorized usage by criminals.

See my tips and champion picks connected however to support yourself from individuality theft at Cyberguy.com

5) Add other privateness extortion with a VPN

A VPN helps support your browsing enactment by masking your IP code and encrypting your net traffic. That is particularly applicable successful breaches similar this one, wherever exposed enactment information whitethorn see determination signals oregon usage patterns. While a VPN cannot erase past exposure, it reduces however overmuch caller accusation is disposable going guardant and makes it harder to nexus aboriginal enactment backmost to you. Using a VPN consistently tin besides bounds tracking crossed sites, which helps little your wide integer footprint aft a breach.

For the champion VPN software, spot my adept reappraisal of the champion VPNs for browsing the web privately connected your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt's cardinal takeaways

The Pornhub monolithic information leak highlights however agelong stored idiosyncratic accusation tin stay a risk. While passwords and outgo details were not exposed, enactment information tin inactive beryllium damaging if released. ShinyHunters has shown it is consenting to use unit done nationalist threats. As a result, you should enactment vigilant and proactive astir your online security.

Should companies beryllium allowed to store years of idiosyncratic enactment information erstwhile it is nary longer needed? Let america cognize by penning to america at Cyberguy.com
 

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