ShinyHunters conducted the theft of 2 TB to 3 TB of data as a retaliatory act to force the FBI to retract a second-quarter 2026 'FLASH report' that made allegations about the group's tactical operations. The group exploited a CVSS 9.8 vulnerability (CVE-2026-35273) that the FBI had failed to patch on time. While the hackers told 404 Media they do not intend to publish the stolen files, bureau employees and partner agents have reported contacting news outlets to verify if their private information was compromised.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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FBI Hack Exposes Data of 8,000 Local Officers and Nearly All Staff
Cybersecurity17 days ago
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is notifying more than 8,000 state and local law enforcement officers on bureau task forces that their personal data was stolen in a massive cyberattack. An internal memo reveals that the ShinyHunters hacking group exfiltrated names, home addresses, cell phone numbers and Social Security numbers for those officers and nearly every FBI employee. The breach exposed personnel serving in highly sensitive roles, including undercover narcotics and counterintelligence units tracking threats from Russia, China, and Iran.
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