US and European authorities dismantle LeakBase website, accused of distributing stolen passwords

U.S. and European law enforcement authorities have seized the database connected to LeakBase, a site that prosecutors have described as “one of the world’s largest online forums for cybercriminals” because of its role in distributing stolen passwords and hacking tools.

Police agencies in the United States and Europe took action against the site earlier this week, saying its database contained more than 142,000 members and over 215,000 messages exchanged between users.

According to authorities, LeakBase has been active since 2021 and has maintained an ongoing archive of hacked databases, including hundreds of millions of account credentials, credit card details, and banking account and routing information.

The action marks the latest takedown targeting websites involved in the trade of stolen credentials, which are increasingly being used to break into personal accounts and steal both data and cryptocurrency.

Europol said in a statement that about 100 enforcement actions were carried out worldwide, including measures targeting the forum’s 37 most active users. Earlier on Wednesday, the FBI redirected the site’s domain to nameservers under the bureau’s control, effectively shutting the platform down.

LeakBase now shows a seizure notice stating that the forum’s contents, private messages, and IP address logs have been preserved. According to The Record, which spoke with FBI cyber official Brett Leatherman, the investigation led to more than 13 arrests, searches, and interviews involving 33 suspects, and to the capture of the forum’s full database.