Team GhostShell, a hacker group with links to Anonymous, claims to have published millions of documents containing sensitive information from over 100 websites.
The breach was announced on Twitter by hacktivist leader DeadMellox, who linked to a boastful press release headlined, “1 million accounts/records leaked!” that claimed successful attacks and information leaks on a variety of institutions including MIT, the Thai Navy, various stock exchanges, banks and law enforcement agencies. The group’s statement includes mirror links to a slew of stolen data, but with many of the links to what is purported to be very sensitive information already disabled, many of their claims are difficult to verify.
Despite that, what can be checked has checked out. Softpedia tested some of the still-available leaked account information and were able to corroborate some of Team GhostShell's claims. “they seem to be legitimate,” Softpedia said, “especially considering that none of the affected organizations can be considered high-profile.”
The hackers called the move a protest of banks and politicians and vengeance for the imprisonment of fellow hackers.
Softpedia pointed out that unlike most hacktavist organizations of this stripe, who announce a security breach and dump as soon as it happens, Team GhostShell remained largely silent about their activities until they'd breach many, many sites and amassed a great amount of sensitive information.
Team GhostShell called today's breach, billed as “Project HellFire,” the "final form of protest this summer against the banks, politicians and for all the fallen hackers this year," but promised to return this fall to wreak more havoc on their political targets.
The group gave credit to sub-divisions MidasBank and OphiusLab for their part in today’s attack and announced upcoming collaborative hacks with Anonymous in the future.
Team GhostShell also announced plans to give other hacking groups access point information for (1) “six billion databases from a Chinese mainframe full of Chinese & Japanese technology,” (2) Over 105 billion databases to a US stock exchange mainframe [computers],” and (3) access-points to 3-4 different servers belonging to the Department of Homeland Security.”
The information from the third one, they warn, “isn't that great but it may be good for street cred.”