ReadNovel.com Data Breach Exposed Nearly 19 Million User Records in May 2019

In May 2019, ReadNovel.com, a Chinese literature and online reading platform known for its expansive library of novels and literary works, suffered a major data breach. Nearly 19 million user records were exposed after unauthorized access disrupted the platform’s security. The leaked data included sensitive fields such as usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, gender, full residential addresses, phone numbers, and social security details, affecting millions of readers and writers who trusted the site with their personal information. This event marked one of the more notable breaches in China’s online literature scene, raising concerns about the privacy impacts for users whose data was compromised.

What Data Was Exposed?

The breach at ReadNovel.com led to the exposure of the following types of information:

• Usernames
• Email addresses
• Hashed passwords
• Full addresses
• Phone numbers
• Social security details

This wide range of leaked personal information covers both contact and identity data, making the breach particularly serious in its potential impact on users.

Scope and Number of Users Affected

Almost 19.2 million user records (precisely 19,217,978) were compromised during this incident. This made it one of the largest breaches involving a Chinese online literature platform, both by volume and by the sensitivity of data involved.

Timeline of the Breach

The breach occurred in May 2019. While details about how the attackers gained access are limited, it’s clear that the intrusion resulted in the immediate exposure of a substantial user base’s information. Further actions regarding investigations or user notifications were not widely publicized.

What Happened at ReadNovel.com?

Attackers gained unauthorized access to ReadNovel.com’s user database, resulting in the extraction of personal and account information for millions of users. The breach highlighted the risks for users of popular web platforms, particularly in sectors dealing with large online communities and personal details.

FAQ

What happened in the ReadNovel.com data breach?

ReadNovel.com suffered a breach in May 2019 that resulted in unauthorized individuals accessing and leaking user data, including usernames, emails, hashed passwords, addresses, phone numbers, and social security information.

How many users were affected in the ReadNovel.com breach?

The breach impacted 19,217,978 user records, making it a significant incident in the Chinese literature and online reading community.

What data was leaked in the ReadNovel.com breach?

Leaked information included usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, full addresses, phone numbers, and social security details of affected users.

Who was behind the ReadNovel.com data breach?

There has been no public attribution regarding the responsible parties for the ReadNovel.com data breach. Details about the attackers remain unknown.

How can I check if I'm in the ReadNovel.com breach?

You can check if your information was part of the ReadNovel.com breach by utilizing the DeHashed search engine.