Hacker breached FBI network, accessed files linked to Jeffrey Epstein probe

Files related to Epstien probe reportedly hacked

• A hacker breached FBI's New York office network in 2023
• Files related to the Epstein investigation were accessed
• FBI contained and confirmed breach as an isolated incident

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An unidentified foreign hacker breached a network at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2023 and accessed files related to the bureau’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report by Reuters.

The breach reportedly occurred at the FBI’s New York field office, where the hacker exploited a server at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab that had been inadvertently left vulnerable.

Reuters cited a source familiar with the incident along with court documents indicating that the attacker was able to access and review files connected to the Epstein investigation.

According to the court filing, the intrusion involved searching through certain documents linked to the Epstein case, though the full scope of the data accessed remains unclear.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency is continuing to investigate the incident.

“Following the 2023 cyber incident, the FBI contained the affected network and determined the incident to be an isolated one,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The FBI restricted access to the malicious actor and rectified the network.”

The vulnerability reportedly originated from a server configuration issue connected to an FBI special agent working on the case.

In an unusual twist, Reuters reported that the hacker initially did not realise the system belonged to the FBI.

According to a source familiar with the matter, agents later contacted the attacker and invited them to join a video call, during which FBI officials showed their credentials and confirmed that the hacker had accessed a federal law enforcement system.