Lesson 18: Searching Breached Databases
Now the key question is: How can you search within a database? What information do you need? One of the most important pieces is a phone number or email address, as these are unique identifiers belonging to only one person.
Searching by just a first and last name might yield hundreds of results, making it hard to identify the right person. That's why having an email or phone is crucial. Additional details can further refine your search.
For example, if you lack an email/phone but have the first/last name, city, approximate age, and gender, you can narrow it down significantly.
Real-world example: Using the instructor's info — name "Sad Sarraj", lives in New York, 24 years old — a database search might return only 3–4 matches. The more details you have, the better.
Using Have I Been Pwned? (HIBP)
The first tool is Have I Been Pwned? (haveibeenpwned.com), which checks if an email or phone has been exposed in known breaches.
Example: Entering an email shows it was found in 2 breaches — download those databases to investigate further.
Practical demo: Using Rishi Cabra's known email on HIBP revealed it was compromised in 9 data breaches. This confirms the email's validity (used across multiple sites requiring verification).
Breaches include:
- 8tracks (music streaming)
- BigBasket (online grocery/ordering)
- Dominus India (India-specific service)
- Gravatar
- Gifit
- Rentomojo (furniture rental in India)
- Tungle
- Zomato (food delivery)
- One spam list
Breach dates range from 2016–2017 to as recent as 2023, indicating ongoing use.
Insights from Breaches
Beyond validation, HIBP reveals interests and habits:
- 8tracks: Interest in music
- BigBasket: Online food/grocery ordering
- Dominus India/Rentomojo: Likely living/renting in India
- Zomato: Food delivery usage
Types of Leaked Data
HIBP details what was compromised in each breach. For one example:
- Date of birth
- Email addresses
- IP addresses
- Names
- Passwords (plain text or hashed)
- Physical addresses
In the latest breach (Rentomojo, 2023):
- Date of birth
- Email addresses
- Genders
- Government-issued IDs
- Passport numbers
- Passwords (plain text or hashed)
- Purchase history
- Social media profiles
Downloading these databases could reveal Rishi Cabra's DOB, IP, passwords, address, and more. In upcoming lectures, we'll cover how to find, download, and search leaked databases safely.