2021 FBI email hack

On November 13, 2021, a hacker compromised the FBI's external email system, sending thousands of messages warning of a cyberattack by cybersecurity CEO Vinny Troia who was falsely suggested to have been identified as part of The Dark Overlord hacking group by the United States Department of Homeland Security.[1][2][3]

The spam email that was sent to thousands of email accounts warning of a fake cyberattack by cybersecurity researcher Vinny Troia

The emails were sent to addresses taken from the American Registry for Internet Numbers database and it was reported that the hacker used the FBI's public-facing email system which made the emails appear legitimate. The campaign was likely done in an attempt to defame Troia. The hacker "Pompompurin" (revealed in 2023 to be an individual named Conor Brian Fitzpatrick[4]) later claimed responsibility for the hack.[5]

Responses

FBI

The FBI stated that they remediated the software vulnerablilty that caused the attack. They told people to ignore the email and "confirmed the integrity" of the FBI's computer systems following the attack.[6]

Pompompurin

The hacker Pompompurin claimed responsibility for attack claiming in an interview with Krebs on Security.[5] In a later interview with ProPublica Pompompurin later claimed the hack was done for "fun."[7]

Vinny Troia blogged about his belief it was the work of Canadian hacker Chris Meunier. In an interview with ProPublica, Pompompurin denied being Meunier.[7][8]

Aftermath

In March 2023 Pompompurin was arrested on unrelated computer crime charges in Peekskill, New York and was identified as a 20 to 21 year old man named Conor Brian Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was said to have told the arresting officer that he was the creator of BreachForums, which had been created to "fill the void" caused by the seizure of RaidForums a few weeks earlier.[9][10] He was identified as connected to the 2021 Robinhood Markets data breach and a data breach of Twitter in 2022.[11]

References
  1. "FBI email system compromised by hackers who sent fake cyberattack alert". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  2. Speakman, Kimberlee. "FBI Email Server Hacked, Thousands Of Spam Emails Said To Be Sent Out". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. "Hackers compromise FBI email system, send thousands of messages". Reuters. 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  4. "US authorities arrest alleged BreachForums owner and FBI hacker Pompompurin". Engadget. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  5. Roth, Emma (2021-11-14). "The FBI's email system was hacked to send out fake cybersecurity warnings". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  6. Cao, Belinda. "FBI Says No Network Data Compromised After Fake Email Incident". Bloomberg.
  7. Podkul, Cezary. "Despite Decades of Hacking Attacks, Companies Leave Vast Amounts of Sensitive Data Unprotected". ProPublica. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  8. "Pompompurin: The hacker behind the FBI email data breach". Night Lion Security. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  9. "FBI arrests BreachForums operator on cybercrime charges".
  10. "Dark Web 'BreachForums' Operator Charged With Computer Crime".
  11. Roth, Emma (2023-03-18). "Feds arrest alleged BreachForums owner linked to FBI hacks". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
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