Avast
HIGH RISKData breach — May 2014
In May 2014, the Avast anti-virus forum was hacked and 423k member records were exposed. The Simple Machines Based forum included usernames, emails and password hashes.
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What happened in the Avast data breach?
In May 2014, the Avast anti-virus forum was hacked and 423k member records were exposed. The Simple Machines Based forum included usernames, emails and password hashes.
The exposed data included 3 types of personal information. Because passwords were exposed, users who reused their password on other sites are at particular risk. Learn more about what a data breach means for you.
Quick answer — was Avast hacked?
Yes. Avast was breached in May 2014. The breach exposed 422,959 records including email addresses, passwords, usernames. This breach has been independently verified. If your email was involved, your data may still be at risk today. Check if you were affected.
Why was the Avast breach so dangerous?
The Avast breach exposed 422,959 records — that is a large number of compromised accounts. The combination of email addresses, passwords, usernames makes this a high-risk breach that requires immediate action.
Because passwords were exposed, attackers can use credential stuffing to automatically test your Avast password against hundreds of other websites. If you reused your password anywhere, those accounts are now at risk. Read more about what happens to your data after a breach.
Don't wait to find out — check if your email was exposed in this breach now.
What data was stolen in the Avast breach?
Email addresses — used for phishing attacks and credential stuffing against your other accounts
Passwords — can be used to access your accounts directly or cracked to reveal your actual password
Usernames — used to build profiles and target you with personalised scams
Is the Avast breach still dangerous in 2026?
Yes. Stolen data from the Avast breach remains dangerous years after the incident. Research shows that over 65% of stolen credentials from older breaches have never been changed by the account holders. Attackers routinely compile data from multiple breaches to build complete profiles, and credentials from 2014 are still actively used in credential stuffing attacks today.
Personal information like email addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth never expire. Even if you changed your Avast password, the other exposed data can be combined with information from other breaches to target you. Learn more about how long stolen data stays dangerous.
Frequently asked about the Avast breach
Approximately 422,959 user records were exposed in the Avast breach in May 2014.
Yes. Leaked credentials are actively used in credential stuffing attacks years after a breach. If you reused your Avast password elsewhere and haven't changed it, those accounts remain at risk today.
Enter your email in the free checker on EmailLeaked. We scan 12 billion+ breach records including the full Avast dataset and tell you instantly whether your email was exposed and what data was taken.
Change your Avast password immediately, change any other account where you used the same password, enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts, and monitor for phishing emails over the next 90 days.
Who was affected by the Avast breach?
The Avast data breach affected approximately 422,959 users who had accounts with the service. While not the largest breach on record, it still represents a significant number of compromised accounts in our database of 970+ known breaches.
If you ever created an account with Avast or used their services, your data may have been included in this breach. Check your email now to find out. You can also read our guide on what to do immediately after a data breach.
If your email was in the Avast breach
Change your Avast password immediately
Go to Avast and change your password right now. Use a strong, unique password that you have never used anywhere else.
Change any account sharing that password
If you used the same password on other sites, change it on every one of them. Attackers test stolen credentials on hundreds of popular sites within hours.
Enable two-factor authentication
Turn on 2FA on Avast and every important account. Even if your password is known, attackers cannot get in without the second factor.
Check your other accounts for this breach
Run a full email check to see every breach your email appears in — not just this one.
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