Data breach
Read Novel data breach
22,424,472 accounts · breached May 1, 2019
Have I Been Pwned marks this breach as unverified: the data could not be confirmed as coming from the named service, although it contains real email addresses.
What happened
In May 2019, the Chinese literature website Read Novel allegedly suffered a data breach that exposed 22M unique email addresses. Data also included usernames, genders, phone numbers and passwords stored as salted MD5 hashes. Read more about Chinese data breaches in Have I Been Pwned.
What data leaked
- Email addresses
- Genders
- Passwords
- Phone numbers
- Usernames
What to do if you had an account
- Change the password. Change your password on this service. If you used the same password anywhere else, change it there too: attackers try leaked email and password pairs on other sites automatically. A password manager makes one unique password per site practical.
- Turn on two-step sign-in. Enable two-factor authentication where the service offers it, preferably with an authenticator app or a passkey. A leaked password alone is then not enough to get in.
- Expect targeted phishing. Leaked contact details are used to write convincing fake messages that mention the breached company or your real name. Do not click links in unexpected emails or texts about this account; go to the site by typing its address.
- Watch for scam calls and SIM swaps. Be suspicious of calls and texts that claim to be from your bank or a courier. Ask your mobile operator for a port-out or SIM-change PIN if it offers one.
Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com
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