Hackers Leak 180,000 Esport North Africa User Records a Day Before Tournament Begins

A hacker leaked the personal data of 180,000 Esport North Africa users just before the tournament. While no financial details were exposed, users are advised to change passwords and stay alert for phishing attacks.

The hacker, known as “Shooked,” leaked the personal details of over 180,000 Esport North Africa (ESNA) users just one day before the tournament is set to begin in Morocco. The 3 GB data dump, which Shooked claims is the “full database,” was released on Breach Forums on the morning of Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The ESNA tournament is scheduled to start on Thursday, October 24th.

For context, Esport North Africa (ESNA – Electronic Sports North Africa) is a platform designed to promote competitive gaming and esports development across the North African region. It organizes tournaments in popular games such as FC25, Free Fire, Street Fighter 6, and other competitive titles, providing opportunities for gamers to showcase their skills.

The leaked data was analyzed by the Hackread.com research team and contains over 9 million lines. However, after the removal of duplicate entries, the total number of unique user records stands at 180,000. This data includes the following information:

• User ID
• Country
• Usernames
• IP addresses
• Timestamp
• Session ID
• WordPress URLs
• Email addresses (179,224)

and other details…

While the leaked data does not include passwords or financial details, the breach appears legitimate. However, final confirmation is pending a response from the organization, which Hackread.com has reached out to for comment.

Cyberattacks on gaming companies and gamers are not new, as they are often lucrative targets for criminals. Last year, Akamai’s research revealed how hackers used the Dark Frost Botnet to target gaming companies and players, compromising devices to execute DDoS attacks.

If you have an account on ESNA (ESNA.GG), it’s recommended to change your password as a precaution. Additionally, be cautious of potential phishing emails from cybercriminals posing as Esport North Africa representatives, attempting to exploit the breach.

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