Autocentrum.pl Data Breach (2018): What Was Exposed & What To Do

In early 2018, a dataset associated with the Polish automotive website Autocentrum.pl appeared on public forums. The incident involved records for approximately 144,000 users and consisted of email addresses stored alongside passwords in plain text. Such exposures illustrate a persistent pattern in which user credentials from online services continue to circulate long after initial collection, increasing the chance of reuse across unrelated accounts.

The event was documented on 4 February 2018. No further technical details about the method of acquisition or the period during which the data were collected have been made public.

Inside the incident

The records were located online in February 2018 and contained email addresses paired with passwords stored without encryption. The total number of affected individuals is stated as 144,000. No information has been released regarding the date range of the data, the precise circumstances of the exposure, or any subsequent actions taken by the organisation.

How a breach like this happens

Incidents involving the disclosure of email addresses and passwords often originate from unauthorised access to web applications or databases. Attackers may exploit vulnerabilities in login systems, obtain credentials through phishing, or locate improperly secured backups. When passwords are stored in plain text rather than hashed, any copy of the database immediately yields usable account details. Once the material is posted publicly, it can be downloaded by multiple parties and later incorporated into lists used for credential-stuffing attempts against other services.

Who is Autocentrum.pl?

Autocentrum.pl operates as a Polish website focused on motoring topics, including vehicle reviews, technical specifications and user forums. Organisations of this type routinely maintain accounts that allow registered visitors to comment, save preferences or receive newsletters. The data held by such sites therefore typically include contact details and authentication tokens that, if exposed, can be leveraged for targeted follow-on activity.

The information in question

The published material is described as containing email addresses and passwords stored in plain text. No additional categories of information, such as names, addresses or payment details, are referenced in available reports. The exact scope of the dataset beyond these two fields remains unconfirmed.

The real-world impact

Individuals whose email addresses and passwords appeared in the dataset face an elevated risk that the same credentials may be tested against other online services. Because the passwords were stored without hashing, any party in possession of the file can attempt immediate use. For the organisation, the incident highlights the long-term consequences of retaining authentication data in recoverable form and the difficulty of determining how widely copies have circulated once material reaches public forums.

Were you affected?

Users of Autocentrum.pl can begin by changing the password associated with that account and any other service where the same password was used. Enabling two-factor authentication on remaining accounts reduces the value of any exposed credential. A short list of immediate steps follows:

• Change the password on Autocentrum.pl if the account is still active.
• Update passwords on any other sites that used the same or similar credentials.
• Enable two-factor authentication wherever available.
• Run a free exposure scan of the email address against known breach datasets to check for additional appearances.

AICompiled with AI assistance from public sources and published under our editorial standards.