ShinyHunters Claims Massive FBI Data Breach, Defaces Jobs Site
Hacking group ShinyHunters claims to have stolen FBI employee data and defaced its jobs website, sparking an ongoing investigation.
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A notorious hacking group known as ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for a massive data breach of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), asserting that it has stolen personal data on every FBI employee and applicant. The group also defaced the FBI’s jobs website to demonstrate its alleged intrusion. According to the hackers, they accessed the FBI’s systems by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle’s Peoplesoft platform.
Defacement and Data Claims
The defacement of the FBI’s jobs site, apply.fbijobs.gov, was accompanied by a message styled to resemble a law enforcement seizure notice. The message claimed that all FBI data, including personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), had been compromised. The hackers stated they had access to more data than they were willing to disclose.
404 Media reviewed a sample of the alleged stolen data, which included information on 5,000 purported FBI agents, such as names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and details about employees’ spouses. Cross-checking of phone numbers using OSINT Industries and Darkside tools confirmed that the data matched known personnel at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Group’s Motivation and Background
ShinyHunters is known for its ransomware tactics, typically targeting victims and threatening to leak data unless paid. However, the group denied financial motivation in this case, stating, “This is not financially motivated.”
The alleged breach is believed to stem from a dispute over an FBI report that accused the group of exaggerating its system access to pressure victims into paying ransoms, sending threatening messages, and even carrying out swatting attacks. ShinyHunters responded by calling the report’s contents “false allegations” and demanding a correction within a week.
The FBI confirmed to 404 Media that it is investigating the claims, stating, “The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating.”
Previous Cyberattacks
ShinyHunters has a history of high-profile cyberattacks, including the shutdown of Canvas, a tech platform used by schools from K-12 to college. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, chose to pay the group’s ransom to end the attack.
Source: Breitbart
