root@thehacksparrow:~/writeups$ SYSTEM ONLINE
root@sparrow:~/writeups$ cat holehe.md
// tools

Holehe

22 Jul 2026 · 2 min read

What it is — Holehe checks whether an email is registered on dozens of services (social networks, platforms, apps) by abusing each site's "forgot your password?" or signup forms, which often reveal whether that address already has an account without needing to log in. Unlike Have I Been Pwned (which looks at historical breaches), Holehe checks current active registration.

TypeCLI (Python)
CostFree, open source
Repogithub.com/megadose/holehe

How to use it

pip3 install holehe
holehe email@example.com

The output flags each checked service as "registered", "not registered", or "rate limited"/error — not every service responds reliably, but with dozens of sources queried at once, the overall pattern is still usually useful.

What I use it for

  • A companion to HIBP: HIBP tells me if an email showed up in an already-known breach; Holehe tells me which services it has an account on right now, even if it's never suffered a public leak.
  • Identity verification in a report: confirming a contact email corresponds to a real, active account on known platforms, not just a made-up address.
  • Personal hygiene: checking how many forgotten services an old email I no longer check is still registered on.

Link

github.com/megadose/holehe →