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LiveJournal

High

The 2017 LiveJournal breach exposed 26M user records and plaintext passwords.

Records exposed
26,372,781 records
Breach date
Breach Jan 1, 2017
Last update
Updated May 26, 2020

What data was exposed?

Fields reported as compromised in this breach record.

Email addressesPasswordsUsernames

Why does this breach matter?

In-depth analysis of the breach and its implications.

In early 2017, LiveJournal's platform experienced a significant data breach exposing sensitive account information, including usernames, email addresses, and plaintext passwords of approximately 26 million users. This data breach was disclosed in mid-2019 amid increasing reports of credential abuse related to Dreamwidth, a platform with overlap in its user base. In May 2020, the compromised data archive surfaced on a hacking forum, underscoring the long-term consequences of security lapses.

Impact Analysis

Understanding the scope and consequences of this breach.

User Impact
Individual accounts are at risk of being compromised via credential stuffing or unauthorized access.
Business Impact
LiveJournal faced reputational damage and user trust erosion due to the breach.
Affected Sectors
  • Social Media and Community Platforms
Geographic Impact
  • Global

What You Should Do

Recommended actions to take in response to this breach.

If You Were Affected

  • Change passwords on your LiveJournal account immediately and ensure it's unique.
  • Be vigilant for phishing attempts and other suspicious activities related to breached email accounts.

Preventive Measures

  • Always use strong, unique passwords for every online service.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible to secure accounts further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this breach and what it means for you.

Plaintext passwords, usernames, and email addresses of 26 million user records were exposed.

Attribution

Additional attribution provided with the breach record.

nano@databases.pw