An unidentified foreign hacker breached computer systems at the FBI’s New York field office in 2023 and accessed files connected to the bureau’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Reuters report citing a source familiar with the matter and court documents.
The breach reportedly involved systems at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab located within the FBI’s New York office.
Server Vulnerability Led To Network Access
According to court documents referenced by Reuters, the hacker gained access to a server that had been left exposed due to a configuration issue.
The server vulnerability was reportedly linked to a system managed by an FBI special agent involved in the investigation.
Once inside the network, the attacker accessed and reviewed certain files related to the Epstein investigation.
The documents describe the intrusion as involving “combing through certain files pertaining to the Epstein investigation.”
The scope of the accessed data has not been publicly detailed.
FBI Says Incident Was Contained
An FBI spokesperson said the agency detected and contained the incident after discovering the unauthorized access.
“Following the 2023 cyber incident, the FBI contained the affected network and determined the incident to be an isolated one,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch.
“The FBI restricted access to the malicious actor and rectified the network.”
The agency said the investigation into the breach is ongoing.
Hackers Allegedly Unaware Of Target
According to Reuters, a source familiar with the case said the hacker initially did not realize the compromised system belonged to the FBI.
The report states that investigators later contacted the attacker and asked them to join a video call.
During the call, FBI agents reportedly displayed their credentials to confirm the identity of the organization whose systems had been accessed.
Further details about the identity of the hacker or how long the access persisted have not been publicly disclosed.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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