[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2mrpwchi0ryec":3},{"success":4,"breach":5},true,{"_id":6,"name":7,"title":8,"slug":7,"domain":9,"breachDate":10,"addedDate":11,"modifiedDate":11,"contentUpdatedAt":12,"source":13,"sourceUrl":14,"sourceUrls":15,"pwnCount":19,"affectedCount":19,"affectedCountStatus":20,"affectedCountLowerBound":21,"affectedCountUnit":22,"hasEnglishDescription":4,"severity":23,"dataClasses":24,"description":33,"seoTitle":34,"seoTitleEn":35,"seoDescription":34,"seoDescriptionEn":36,"logoUrl":37,"isVerified":4,"isSensitive":38,"isSpamList":38,"isMalware":38,"company":39},"68e3266eda11adda4882527a","linux-mint","Linux Mint Data Breach","linuxmint.com","2016-02-21T00:00:00.000Z","2016-02-22T01:28:08.000Z","2026-07-18T23:53:27.053Z","Website hack","https:\u002F\u002Fblog.linuxmint.com\u002F?p=3001",[14,16,17,18],"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.linuxmint.com\u002F?p=2994","https:\u002F\u002Fthehackernews.com\u002F2016\u002F02\u002Flinux-mint-hack.html","https:\u002F\u002Flinuxmint.com\u002Fabout.php",144989,"known",null,"unknown","High",[25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32],"Avatars","Dates of birth","Email addresses","Geographic locations","IP addresses","Passwords","Time zones","Website activity","\u003Cp>The Linux Mint data breach refers to the size of account data affected by the security incident that impacted the project's website and forum environment in February 2016. Linux Mint is a community-focused operating system distribution based on Debian and Ubuntu, used on desktop computers. During the incident, the download redirects on the website briefly pointed to a malicious ISO file, and it was also confirmed that a copy of the forum database had fallen into the hands of attackers. The personal data risk considered in this record concerns forum user accounts; that is, it should not be assumed that every Linux Mint user or every operating system installation was affected by the same data list.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The scope of the record is limited to approximately 144,989 accounts. Verified data types are tracked as avatars, birth dates, email addresses, geographic location information, IP addresses, password records, time zones, and website activity. The forum announcement stated that passwords are kept in an encrypted or hashed form, not as readable plain text; however, there is still a risk of account takeover for weak or reused passwords. Therefore, even if the incident is old, the risk can carry over to the present if the same email address, username, or password has been used on other services.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Leaking Data Types and Risks\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The most critical area in this breach is the ability to link email addresses and password records to the same user account. When attackers obtain the email address and password information of a forum account together, it becomes possible to try the same password on email, social media, developer communities, gaming communities, or shopping accounts. The fact that passwords are stored as hash values does not completely eliminate the risk; short, dictionary-based, personal information-based, or previously used passwords can be weak against guessing attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Avatar, birth date, location, time zone, and website activity may not seem as critical as a password at first glance; however, these fields are valuable for creating a user profile. When combined, the time zone a user is in, the forum behavior they exhibit, the email address they use, and the personal information they provide can be used to craft more convincing phishing messages. IP addresses also generate additional risk in terms of session history, approximate location, and account behavior. Personal profile, signature, and content fields within a forum can also increase privacy impact depending on the amount of information entered by the user.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Verified Scope and Boundaries\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The verified scope should be assessed without mixing two separate incidents. The first part involves briefly altering the download links on the Linux Mint website and directing some users to a malicious ISO file. The second part is the copying of the forum database. The personal data classes listed in this breach record are associated with the forum database. Therefore, the record does not mean that the personal data of everyone using the Linux Mint operating system was leaked; it should be evaluated particularly in terms of users who have a forum account.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The number of affected accounts is approximately 145 thousand, and the recorded value has been kept as 144,989. Since there is no verifiable exact headquarters information for the company field under the name Linux Mint, website field under the address linuxmint.com, and country field, the value Unknown has been preferred. On the category side, the incident should be categorized under technology due to the open-source desktop distribution and community forum context. Data classes should be limited to the verified list; even if it is stated that additional content such as private messages, forum posts, or signatures may have been entered by the user, no new fields should be added to the main data class list without evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>User Groups at Risk\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The highest risk applies to people who had a Linux Mint forum account before 2016 or around that time and used the same password on other accounts. Especially if the forum password is the same as that of an email account, developer account, cloud storage, financial service, gaming account, or social network account, attackers can directly use the obtained information for account attempts. If the email address has not changed for many years and the user has forgotten the old forum account, the risk becomes even more silent; because the person may not realize that an old password is still active elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Users who downloaded the Linux Mint ISO file on the days of the incident constitute a separate technical risk group. For this group, the personal data classes in the database record alone are not sufficient for evaluation; the integrity of the downloaded installation file, whether the system was subsequently clean-installed, and which accounts were accessed through that system should also be considered. However, in this breach record, the primary focus concerning account data is forum users. Individuals who do not have a forum account but only use the operating system should not be included in the same scope regarding personal data records.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Urgent Measures to Be Taken\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>If your email address is found in this record, first try to remember the old password you used on the forum and check whether the same or a similar password has been used on other accounts. If the same password has been used elsewhere, priority should be given to the email account; because if the email account is compromised, access to other accounts becomes possible through password reset links. Afterwards, social networks, developer platforms, cloud storage, shopping, and payment accounts should be updated with unique passwords.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Using a long and unique password for each account reduces the risk of repeated attempts resulting from this incident. Using a password manager makes it easier to find where old passwords are reused and to store new strong passwords. Two-factor authentication should be enabled for supported accounts, recovery email and phone information should be reviewed, unknown sessions should be closed, and the recent login history should be checked. Caution should be exercised against links sent under the pretext of suspicious email, forum notification, or an old Linux Mint account.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Long-Term Security Strategies\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Old forum violations do not become worthless over time; on the contrary, due to reused passwords, permanent email addresses, and username matches, they can be used in account takeover chains even years later. A long-term strategy should be based on a unique password for each service, strong multi-factor authentication, regular session checks, and the closure of unnecessary accounts. Personal profile information on unused forum accounts should be minimized, and it should be reviewed whether there is sensitive information in public signatures and old posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In community-focused projects like Linux Mint, users should consider the forum, download page, package repository, and social communication channels as different security risks. A website redirection incident and a forum account data breach can occur on the same date, but the measures to be taken are not the same. For download security, file verification, signature checking, and choosing a reliable mirror are important; for account security, password uniqueness, account activity monitoring, and phishing awareness are at the forefront. If this distinction is maintained, users can focus on the correct risk area instead of unnecessary panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Record Control and User Action\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Users who check this record on LeakData should first determine which email address is affected if the result is positive and assess the old forum account associated with that address. Even if the account is no longer active, repetitions of the old password should be searched for on services used with the same email. Completely new and unique passwords should be preferred instead of small variations during password changes. If the same username has been used on different forums, developer communities, or gaming communities, these accounts should also be examined separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The next step is to check for unknown forwarding rules, recovery addresses, third-party accesses, and session history in the email account. If old messages, profile fields, or signature information related to the Linux Mint forum contain personal information, the privacy impact should also be assessed. The primary action for this incident is to focus on the affected email address by resetting passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, monitoring suspicious logins, and reducing unnecessary personal information in old accounts.\u003C\u002Fp>","","Linux Mint Data Breach (145 Thousand Reported Records)","Linux Mint Data Breach. 145 Thousand reported records were reported. Reported data: Avatars, Dates of birth, Email addresses. Review the scope, risks, and…","\u002Fuploads\u002Flogo\u002Flinuxmint_com.webp",false,{"name":40,"sector":41,"country":42,"website":9,"websiteArchiveUrl":34,"websiteStatus":34,"websiteCheckedAt":21},"Linux Mint","Technology","Unknown"]