ShinyHunters, a notorious hacking group recognized for extensive data breaches and blackmail, claims to have infiltrated the FBI and exfiltrated information on thousands of agents and applicants. The hackers announced this on their dark web leak platform, which TechCrunch examined, asserting they had acquired “confidential data about nearly all FBI agents and individuals who have submitted job applications to the FBI.”

404 Media was the first to report the breach after obtaining a sample of the compromised names, residential addresses, and phone numbers of FBI agents and their spouses, confirming part of the stolen information against publicly available records. The hackers declare their intrusion is “not financially driven,” and are insisting that the FBI retract a report they allege contains misleading accusations about them.

The independent outlet indicated that the hackers breached an Oracle PeopleSoft server, commonly utilized by HR departments and recruiters to maintain job applicants’ personal data, then transitioned to compromise an Amazon-hosted government cloud that holds the data of agents and applicants.

ShinyHunters informed the publication that they extracted terabytes of data but did not specify their intentions for the information if the FBI fails to remove its public report. The unauthorized data could pose a significant counterintelligence risk, where hackers and foreign operatives leverage the information to manipulate or blackmail FBI agents and their families into aiding a foreign nation.

The hackers allegedly vandalized the FBI’s jobs portal, which at the time of publication indicated that the site was “currently down for maintenance.” It also stated that the FBI’s special agent applicant site was likewise unavailable.

An FBI representative informed TechCrunch: “The FBI is aware of assertions regarding unauthorized actions affecting FBIjobs.gov and is presently conducting an investigation.” When contacted by TechCrunch, the ShinyHunters hackers did not disclose the number of individuals whose information was compromised but claimed they are “very confident we have data on mostly all of FBI,” and that “a significant amount of applicant data [is] involved as well.”

This marks the second confirmed breach of an FBI system this year after unidentified hackers accessed one of the agency’s systems for handling real-time wiretaps and foreign intelligence warrants, which could have pinpointed the agency’s surveillance targets. Additionally, FBI director Kash Patel’s personal email account was compromised and exposed by an Iran-aligned hacking group named Handala in reprisal for U.S.-led attacks against Iran.

Updated with remarks from FBI and ShinyHunters.