The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC, or SPRM) says it has seized digital evidence and helped shut down a domain linked to the LeakBase cybercrime forum as part of a coordinated international enforcement operation. The platform, active since 2021, functioned as a marketplace for stolen data and tools commonly used in hacking activities.
The commission said its Special Operations division executed a search warrant at a web-hosting solutions company in Kuala Lumpur, where servers linked to the forum were located. Cyber forensic examinations confirmed that LeakBase had been operating through servers hosted at the facility, leading to the seizure of the servers and the shutdown of its domain in Malaysia.
Marketplace For Stolen Data
According to MACC, LeakBase contained large volumes of compromised account credentials. These include email and password combinations frequently used for account takeovers, fraud, and other illicit online activities.
The forum is reported to have accumulated more than 142,000 registered members and over 215,000 messages. It also hosted an extensive archive of hacked databases originating from numerous high-profile cyber breaches, the commission added. Users reportedly traded a wide range of stolen information through the forum, including credit and debit card numbers, banking details, usernames, passwords, and other sensitive personal or corporate data.
Coordinated International Operation
As mentioned earlier, the operation is part of a synchronised global crackdown conducted on 3 and 4 March. It was coordinated by Europol at its headquarters in The Hague. Participating agencies included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and the National Crime Agency, along with enforcement authorities from Germany, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Australia, Kosovo, and Scotland.
Authorities carried out arrests, house searches, and “knock-and-talk” interventions across multiple jurisdictions. Separately, US authorities said it has seized two LeakBase forum domains (including one hosted in Kuala Lumpur) and took control of related data, replacing the sites with warning messages directed at forum users.
