The “surface web,” on the other hand, is the publicly available part of the internet that search engines index. Almost since its inception it has been plagued by denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that have at times left it virtually unusable. According to chief administrator HugBunter, the downtime is the result of a persistent adversary targeting the hidden service with the objective of extorting dark web markets that use Dread to communicate with their users. This downtime has led many users to migrate to Dread’s I2P mirror to access the dark web forum. Although it is not uncommon for forum staff to ask users to contact them directly when purchasing an upgrade, this usually happens on a site’s own internal messaging system.
The Start Of BreachForums
It features many of the old stolen databases that the original BreachForums hosted and new data containing databases of compromised or leaked data, documents, and compromised accounts. The forum focuses on database leaks and includes a community that challenges the Breach forum. When we look at the content, it is seen that there are user accounts, logs, various software, tools, and training pieces other than database leaks. When writing this report, the LeakBase forum has 14,275 threads, 93,258 messages, and 45,946 members. Founded in 2005, Exploit is a leading Russian hacker forum operating on both TOR and the surface web. It connects cybercriminals with collaborators for hacking, fraud, and RaaS activities.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Analysts perform open source intelligence (OSINT) analyses on the dark web to gather clues and better understand threats. It allows ThreatMon to mitigate risks, protect customer data, and reduce the impact of cyber threats such as identity theft, fraud, or data breaches. These hidden platforms provide the ideal environment for illegal activities, ensuring anonymity, security, and access to a global network of like-minded individuals. Dark web monitoring and threat intelligence firms like Cyble help mitigate these risks with advanced AI-driven threat intelligence solutions. Cyble’s platforms, such as Cyble Vision, monitor the dark web for emerging threats, providing real-time insights to protect organizations from cybercrime.
Step-by-Step Guide On Using Tor
BreachForums is just one of the hundreds of dark web hacker forums we monitor here at Webz.io. With the wealth of illicit content daily traded on this forum, cyber threat and intelligence organizations will need to monitor this forum in 2023. Tracking this forum together with other illicit content from deep and dark web marketplaces, forums, and chat applications, will help enterprises and organizations detect cyber threats to their business, data, and employees. Russian Anonymous Marketplace (RAMP) is a prominent dark web forum that quickly became significant within the cybercriminal community.
This Post Is For Subscribers On The Plus, Pro And Elite Tiers
The forum operates on a “quality over quantity” principle, fostering discussions that are technical, focused, and actionable. Recently, it has gained attention as a key venue for sharing zero-day vulnerabilities and sophisticated system exploits. The dark web’s economy continues to grow rapidly, with projections estimating it will reach nearly $3 billion by 2032, driven by a compound annual growth rate of 21.8%. Illicit drug sales alone made up about $1.7 billion in 2022, highlighting the significant share of narcotics in this underground market.
Key Features
From stolen credentials and malware to advice, intelligence, and collaborators, this forum offers everything a cyber criminal would need to launch attacks and pick targets at will. Discussions are conducted in English and, notably, there’s a ban on Russian-data, presumably to avoid geopolitical tensions inviting extra scrutiny. The forum remains active despite at least one domain change and appears poised for longevity and growth given the administrator’s track record. The Cracked Dark Web forum hosts posts on exploit development, zero-day exploits, user logins, and cybersecurity.
Hacking Forums In 2023
Currently, over 75K threat actors are active on Exploit with a total count of over $1 million posts they’ve written, in which they discussed and shared hacking-related information. Law enforcement agencies worldwide face significant challenges when attempting to dismantle dark-web forums, primarily due to technical complexity, encryption technologies, and jurisdictional hurdles. The use of the Tor network and advanced encryption techniques makes tracing users exceptionally difficult, requiring substantial technical expertise and resources to uncover even a single identity. Another notable incident involved the Colonial Pipeline attack, perpetrated by the DarkSide ransomware group. DarkSide relied extensively on dark-web forums not only for recruiting skilled hackers and malware developers but also for advertising and selling stolen data, thereby significantly amplifying the attack’s impact.
Recent Posts
The forum with a similar theme and name was opened to users, and this brought to mind the question of whether it was a game of the FBI. Cybercriminals operate across borders, exploiting differences in legal jurisdictions to avoid prosecution. Founded in 2018 by HugBunter, Dread is likened to the “Reddit of the dark web” due to its interface. While it mainly focuses on drug sales, hacking-related topics are increasing, making it a significant forum despite its lower ranking. And some forums grew faster than others–compound monthly growth rates were 1 percent for the slowest-growing forum and 9 percent for the fastest. Understanding a forum’s lifecycle and internal dynamics guides an analyst’s attention to the highest-value sources and actors.
Attack-For-Hire Services: The Evolution Of DDoS
Moreover, Exploit dark web forum features a highly organized structure as well as membership policies that make it attractive to most threat actors. The controlled and professional landscape has led many people to view the forum as the most reliable source. Its decentralized community structure makes it one of the best forums, and its security measures help it to withstand threats like DDoS attacks.
In recent months, it has been linked to the circulation of compromised data from online retailers and fintech platforms. Its consistent activity and specialization in carding make it a critical player among cyber leak forums, and it continues to attract threat actors seeking monetizable breach content in a structured and familiar format. The forum specializes in a variety of illegal activities, including the sale of leaked data, hacking tools, and fraudulent services.
Dark web forums offer a range of illicit services, from hacking and DDoS attacks to money laundering and counterfeit document creation. XSS, established in 2013 and rebranded in 2018, is a key forum in the Russian-speaking cyber landscape. Accessible via both TOR and the surface web, it deals with unauthorized access sales, malware exchanges, and database trading. To these ends, we analyzed five extremely popular English and Russian-language underground forums from their inception to the end of 2020. One site’s growth did not hinder another’s growth, meaning, in our understanding, that the overall user base of the dark web is growing. The internet we use daily is only a small fraction of the vast digital world hidden beneath the surface web.
Data Breach And Leak Forums
- This is a forum where cybercriminals can discuss various cracking tools, combo lists and dumps, tools, proxies, premium accounts, and more.
- They are notorious for selling leaked data, hacking tools, illicit services, and drug sales.
- It required maximum attention by looking at who leaked what, where it was posted, and in what type of context.
- RAMP offers much of the same goods, services, and discussions that can be found in xss and Exploit but notably allows RaaS activity.
- Since websites are kept unindexed here, it is more complex and difficult to search for source content and obtain data than the clear web.
As a curated cyber leaks forum and training ground, FreeHacks offers classified discussions around financial crime tools, account credential dumps, and network infiltration strategies. Its structured sub-forum categories include areas like carding tutorials, botnet configuration, brute-forcing (Brutus), proxy markets, and digital fraud operations. Featuring around 5,000 active users by mid‑2020, the forum’s content ranges from stolen identity packages to exploit development scripts and malware distribution tools. Chang’an Sleepless Night, launched in December 2021, is a leading Chinese-language leak and cybercrime marketplace. It is essentially a hybrid data leak forum and illicit trading platform prominent in the East Asian underground ecosystem. The forum gained notoriety for offering a breadth of illicit goods and services, including leaked databases, PII and PHI data, credit card dumps, counterfeit documents, and hack-for-hire services.
Altenen stands out in the dark web landscape by concentrating specifically on credit card fraud and financial crime. Unlike broader forums, it serves as a dedicated space where users exchange the latest carding techniques, cracking methods, and complex fraud schemes tailored to payment cards. Despite maintaining a lower profile compared to some larger forums, Altenen has built a loyal, niche community of cybercriminals highly specialized in financial fraud.
Originally launched in 2022 as a successor to the infamous RaidForums, the original BreachForums quickly became one of the most active dark web forums for sharing leaked databases, password leaks, and stolen corporate data. However, after the site was seized by law enforcement in early 2023 and its administrator arrested, the platform briefly went dark. It was soon resurfaced on dark web in 2023 under new operators determined to restore its legacy. It is a Russian-speaking dark web forum, has earned a reputation as a go-to destination for leaked data, breach discussions, and zero-day exploit trading. Launched in the mid-2010s, it caters to a technically advanced audience, with users frequently exchanging sophisticated malware, initial access offers, and stolen database dumps. Unlike casual cyber leaks forums, Exploit.in maintains a closed ecosystem with high entry barriers, favoring credibility and verified sellers over volume.
The forum also implements an escrow system to secure transactions, a strategy that reportedly netted Pompompurin $1,000 daily. Transactions on DDW forums are primarily conducted using cryptocurrencies to obscure the identities of those involved. Despite operating on a public blockchain, Bitcoin (BTC) remains the favored cryptocurrency amongst DDW-dwelling cybercriminals, particularly ransomware collectives. This is most likely due to its secure hashing, as well as its widespread use and familiarity—particularly amongst potential extortion victims. This etiquette has been formalized in many forums, resulting in the use of various reputation systems and regulatory mechanisms, such as escrow services and reliability ratings. The forum caught the underground’s attention when an alleged database containing user information of BreachForums members was posted.
