An Iran-linked hacker group has accessed the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and released photos and communications online, according to U.S. media reports on Friday.
CNN and other U.S. media outlets said the breach of Patel’s email was claimed by the Handala Hack Team, a pro-Iranian hacktivist group.
The FBI and Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to an initial CNN assessment of the files, conducted with assistance from an independent cybersecurity researcher, the compromised emails seem to span roughly from 2011 to 2022, and include a mix of personal, professional, and travel-related communications Patel had with various contacts.
The researcher, Ron Fabela, said that what the hacking group describes as a breach of “impenetrable” FBI systems is actually far less dramatic, involving ordinary personal materials such as family photos and information related to Patel’s past apartment search.
“This isn’t an FBI compromise – it’s someone’s personal junk drawer,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Iran-linked hacking group had also carried out a cyberattack that interfered with operations at a major U.S. medical device company.
At the time, the group claimed the attack was in retaliation for a missile strike on an elementary school in Iran, which Iranian state media reports resulted in the deaths of at least 168 children.
The Pentagon has stated that it is looking into the incident. The U.S. Justice Department has accused the hackers of working for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
