If the passwords were encrypted (hashed), hackers use powerful GPUs to "crack" them back into plain text.
Different breaches are merged into "Mixed" lists to increase the odds of finding active accounts. 60K MIXED HQ.txt
Here is a look at the anatomy of this specific type of file and why it exists. What is it, exactly? If the passwords were encrypted (hashed), hackers use
Files like these are the fuel for attacks. What is it, exactly
Automated bots take a file like 60K MIXED HQ.txt and "stuff" those 60,000 pairs into the login pages of popular services at lightning speed. Even a 0.1% success rate yields 60 hijacked accounts. The Life Cycle of the File A database is stolen from a vulnerable website.
The file is sold or shared. Once a list hits the "Public" sphere (often labeled as "HQ"), it has usually already been milked for value by the person who compiled it. Why You Should Care