Morele.net: Hacker behind one of Poland’s biggest data leaks arrested after 8 years

Polish Authorities Arrest Hacker Behind 2018 Morele.net Data Breach After Eight-Year Manhunt

Polish cybercrime authorities have arrested a 29-year-old hacker linked to one of the country’s largest data breaches, the 2018 attack on Morele.net, a major Polish online electronics retailer. The suspect, charged with unlawfully obtaining and disclosing personal data, was apprehended on January 30, according to Commander Marcin Zagorski of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime.

The breach, which exposed the personal information of over 2 million users, included names, contact details, addresses, and hashed passwords. The hacker has reportedly admitted to the offenses, facing potential penalties of up to two years in prison.

The case, one of Poland’s most significant cyber incidents, had remained unresolved for nearly eight years before the arrest. Authorities confirmed the development on February 9, 2026, marking a key milestone in the investigation. The breach’s scale and prolonged evasion of law enforcement had drawn widespread attention to cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the region.

Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/hacker-behind-one-of-poland-s-biggest-data-leaks-arrested-after-8-years/3824739

morele.net cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/morele-net

"id": "MOR1770638816",
"linkid": "morele-net",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '2,000,000',
                        'industry': 'Retail/E-commerce',
                        'location': 'Poland',
                        'name': 'Morele.net',
                        'type': 'Online electronics retailer'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Hashed passwords',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': '2,000,000',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Names',
                                              'Contact details',
                                              'Addresses',
                                              'Hashed passwords']},
 'date_detected': '2018',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2018',
 'date_resolved': '2026-01-30',
 'description': 'Polish cybercrime authorities arrested a 29-year-old hacker '
                'linked to the 2018 attack on Morele.net, a major Polish '
                'online electronics retailer. The breach exposed the personal '
                'information of over 2 million users, including names, contact '
                'details, addresses, and hashed passwords.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Personal information of over 2 million users',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High'},
 'investigation_status': 'Resolved',
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2026-02-09',
                 'source': 'Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (Poland)'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Unlawfully obtaining and '
                                            'disclosing personal data'},
 'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes'},
 'threat_actor': 'Individual hacker',
 'title': '2018 Morele.net Data Breach',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}