Minecraft Hackers Post Lots Of Of Private Login Details Online

Microsoft was left red-faced after its Xbox One service was hacked by hackers in the Christmas season. Now, it's confronted with the same issue.

Reports on a German website claim that a list of 1,800 Microsoft owned Minecraft's usernames and passwords have been released online.

A security expert warns that criminals may gain access to these information and even hack into accounts, change settings, or even purchase virtual goods.

The hack was reported by Heise Online, and many of the verified accounts (selection shown) are believed to be belonging to German gamers. While it's not entirely specific how the hackers got the credentials, security analyst Graham Cluely stated that there are a variety of possibilities. These include malware and phishing attacks as well as security breaches.

The hack was reported by Heise Online, and many of the verified accounts are believed to belong to German gamers.

It is not known how the hackers got their hands on the credentials, however security analyst Graham Cluely wrote on the Hot for Security blog: The possibilities range from simple phishing attacksto keylogging malware stealing players' details as they log into the game, or a security breach in Minecraft itself.

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'Let's hope it's not the last one - because the game has over 100 million registered players.'

MailOnline was informed by an Microsoft spokesperson that they were able to confirm that there was no Mojang.net services were compromised.

"Normal procedures for dealing with situations like this were put into place to reset passwords for the tiny amount of affected accounts.'

Minecraft was first created in 2009. Minecraft Servers

At the start of the game, a player is placed in a 'virtually infinite game world.'

To build towns and cities players are given blocks and tools.

The game was initially developed for the PC but there are now Xbox 360 and mobile versions available.'

The hack is small due to the huge number of registered users.

However, Mr. Cluely said that unauthorised users could use the unsecured email addresses or passwords to access other gameworlds of others and download the full game, which is usually available for EUR19.95 Euros ($26.95 or PS17.95).

Furthermore when a cybercriminal gains access to a person's email address, they can make use of it to hack other accounts, send spam, or spread malware.

Cluely added that there is no guarantee that the hacker who is responsible for this list doesn't possess more cash.

Microsoft purchased Mojang in September in a deal that was said to be worth $2.5 billion (PS1.5 billion).

The game is accessible on PCs, Android, iOS and Windows Phone, as well as games consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

MailOnline was assured by an Microsoft spokesperson that there was no evidence that Mojang.net services were compromised. While the amount of information disclosed isn't that much when compared to the game's 100,000,000,000 players and players, Mr. Cluely stated that there is no guarantee that the hacker who released the current list didn't have more information 'in their back pockets'.

A player is placed in the virtual world of infinite space at the beginning of the game. The player is then able to explore various terrains, such as forests, mountains, and caves.

More than 16,645,000 people have purchased the game so far it's an online phenomenon.

YouTube channels are available that show people how to play the game. In some instances the owners may quit their jobs by advertising.