X

Netflix passwords leaked again?

What do "w4gw4g," "Poosty72," and "moshimoshi" have in common? They're just three of around 500 Netflix passwords and usernames leaked online, but you may not have to worry.

Seth Rosenblatt Former Senior Writer / News
Senior writer Seth Rosenblatt covered Google and security for CNET News, with occasional forays into tech and pop culture. Formerly a CNET Reviews senior editor for software, he has written about nearly every category of software and app available.
Seth Rosenblatt
2 min read

netflix-login.png
The latest leak of Netflix passwords may be just an attempt to troll you, but it's a good idea to change your password anyway. Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET

Hundreds of Netflix log-in credentials appear to have been leaked online Thursday in a document posted by a hacker group known as Derp. Nevertheless, you might not have to change your password -- this time.

Netflix, which provides streaming video and DVD rentals to more than 48 million subscribers around the world, said that it's aware of the leak.

"We're looking at it," a Netflix spokesperson told CNET.

The more than 1,800 passwords and usernames posted to PasteBin appear to be identical so far to a similar leak of Netflix passwords in December. Of the dozen or so credentials that CNET tested at random, none worked, and of several emails sent to Netflix users on the list, one bounced.

One person on the list confirmed that his listed password was an older one.

"That was a password from about a year ago," said Travis Hammill, a 24-year-old REI employee in Alexandria, Va., who added that he's changed his Netflix password several times since then for security reasons.

So why would Derp post a collection of outdated passwords, some of which might be for inactive disabled accounts? The answer is to troll and prank Netflix users. Because there's so much fear about actually having accounts hacked, and since the consequences for not changing a password that might have been hacked could be severe, it's safer to change a password than risk financial headaches. But unless you see your email on the list and the password listed is your current one, you probably don't have to rush to change it.

Update at 5:15 p.m. PST with new leaked password count and additional information.