Disney hacked and became the latest high-profile victim of a significant cyberattack, allegedly perpetrated by the hacktivist group NullBulge. The Disney data breach reportedly exposed over 1.1 TiB (1.2 TB) of internal data, primarily sourced from the company’s Slack communications with the help of an inside man until he got “cold feet.”
Although there is no official confirmation yet, Disney’s unreleased projects, messages, raw images, and other sensitive data started to circulate on breach forums.
Disney hacked 2024: Inside the Disney leak
NullBulge announced their exploit on breach forums on July 12, 2024, claiming they had accessed and leaked extensive data from Disney’s internal Slack workspace. This workspace, heavily utilized by Disney’s development teams, contained thousands of channels filled with sensitive information, including:
- Messages: Conversations between employees discussing projects, plans, and proprietary information.
- Files: Various documents and media files shared internally.
- Unreleased projects: Details about projects that had not yet been publicly announced.
- Raw images and code: Source code and graphic assets in development stages.
- Credentials and internal links: Access information for internal APIs and web pages.
Here is a sample of what they allegedly have:
How did the Disney leak happen? You should probably ask it to Matthew J. Van Andel
“The exact details of how the Disney leak occurred have not been fully disclosed, as investigations are ongoing. The alleged hackers (NullBulge) stated on X (formerly Twitter) that they had compiled and leaked everything they could access, inviting the public to view Disney’s internal workings. According to NullBulge’s claims, they had an insider for the Disney hack, and they attempted to go deeper until their insider, Matthew J. Van Andel, decided to kick them out. According to his LinkedIn profile, he works as a build manager for The Walt Disney Company. There is no official information on whether he is really involved or not.
#DisneySlackLeak#Disney has had their entire dev slack dumped. 1.1TiB of files and chat messages. Anything we could get our hands on, we downloaded and packaged up. Want to see what goes on behind the doors? go grab it.https://t.co/saVx4lxgsy pic.twitter.com/FitM8hmOEE
— NullBulge (@NullBulgeGroup) July 12, 2024
It’s more than just a hack for NullBulge
NullBulge claims to advocate for artists’ rights, seeking fair compensation and recognition for creators and claim that the Disney leak happened for it. This mission resonates amid ongoing disputes at Disney, where figures like Neil Gaiman and Alan Dean Foster allege the company withholds royalties from artists, especially those involved in franchises like “Star Wars” and “Alien.”
Rumors suggest NullBulge might be linked to the LockBit ransomware gang, using tools associated with them for the Disney data breach.
Need a recap? Disney hacked by the hacktivist group NullBulge, which allegedly resulted in the exposure of extensive internal data. This Disney data breach, reportedly facilitated by an insider, leaked over 1.2 terabytes of sensitive information, including unreleased projects, internal communications from Slack, and raw images. The incident prompted Disney to investigate the breach’s scope and bolster its cybersecurity measures. Legal ramifications are expected, with concerns over data protection and corporate governance likely to be scrutinized.
Featured image credit: Eray Eliaçık/Bing
