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A wave of data thefts in recent months has culminated in a group of hackers threatening to leak 1 billion stolen records from 39 companies, including Disney, McDonald’s, and Toyota.
The Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters group today published a site on the dark web, pressuring the victim companies to pay up by Oct. 10 or else the stolen data will be leaked
The extortion claim appears to be connected to a series of hacks targeting Salesforce customers. This summer, Google’s Mandiant team raised alarm bells about a “widespread data theft campaign” targeting customer environments with Salesforce. The hackers breached AI chat agent provider Salesloft Drift, which can be integrated with Salesforce software.
Last month, the FBI issued its own alert, warning that hackers had been looting “large volumes of data in bulk” before Salesloft was able to shut down the access. It now appears that the culprits responsible are attempting to capitalize on the situation. The group’s name refers to three infamous cybercrime gangs—Scattered Spider, LAPSUS, and Shiny Hunters—each responsible for a string of breaches in recent years. Although law enforcement has arrested at least some members of each group, someone is keeping their activities alive.
(Credit: Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters)
The hackers are demanding that Salesforce itself pay to protect the client data, while also offering various affected companies a chance to negotiate. Other affected brands allegedly include KFC, HBO Max, Adidas, Ikeda, and Walgreens, with the stolen data often covering the personal details of users such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and potentially more, including dates of birth and physical address details.
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The hackers’ site has also uploaded samples of the stolen data, which appear to be authentic, according to security researcher Kevin Beaumont. Meanwhile, Salesforce says it’s reviewing the data theft claims, but insists it isn’t to blame.
“We are aware of recent extortion attempts by threat actors, which we have investigated in partnership with external experts and authorities,” the company said in a statement. “Our findings indicate these attempts relate to past or unsubstantiated incidents, and we remain engaged with affected customers to provide support. At this time, there is no indication that the Salesforce platform has been compromised, nor is this activity related to any known vulnerability in our technology.”
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The company’s statement goes on to urge customers “to remain vigilant against phishing and social engineering attempts” — a key tactic that the Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters gang has likely been using to infiltrate companies. In addition to the Salesloft breach, Google’s Mandiant team also warned about hackers impersonating IT support staff to trick employees into helping them compromise Salesforce customer environments.
In the meantime, the hackers have issued an unusual threat to try and pressure Salesforce. “We will be openly complying with the many law firms that are pursuing civil and commercial litigation against you,” it says. “Specifically, we will be cooperating with the Berger Montague Law Firm if you do not comply with our request.” (The Berger Montague law firm didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.)
The dark web site also says the hackers plan on submitting documentation to regulators in Europe and law enforcement in the US about Salesforce’s allegedly shoddy security if it doesn’t comply with the group’s demands.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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