Russian Hackers Gain Years of Access to US Courts' Sealed Files

Russian hackers infiltrated the US courts' records system for years, stealing sealed documents, including those involving espionage, fraud, and money laundering cases. The breach, attributed to a Russian state-sponsored hacking group, exploited stolen credentials and an outdated server vulnerability. The judiciary became aware of the breach last fall and hired a cybersecurity firm to address it. The breach raises concerns about compromised sensitive cases and investigations, and questions about the judiciary's response.

Russian government hackers have been lurking in the records system of the US courts for years, stealing sensitive documents that judges had ordered sealed from public view. According to sources familiar with the matter and a report seen by Bloomberg News, the attackers gained access by exploiting stolen user credentials and a cybersecurity vulnerability in an outdated server used by the federal judiciary [1].

The hackers specifically targeted sealed records, including those involving espionage, fraud, and money laundering cases. The breach, attributed to a Russian state-sponsored hacking group, raises concerns about the potential compromise of sensitive cases and investigations [1].

The US judiciary became aware of the breach last fall and hired Palo Alto Networks Inc.'s Unit 42 to address the issue. The cybersecurity firm completed its work before the end of 2024. In May, the courts began implementing multifactor authentication for its records system, a basic cybersecurity measure [1].

The breach is coming to public light as US President Donald Trump is set to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump acknowledged the breach but declined to discuss it further, stating that the US is "actually better" at hacking than Russia [1].

The intrusion is not related to the 2020 breach that utilized malicious code implanted in software by Texas-based SolarWinds Corp. The court system has spent years analyzing its vulnerabilities and developing policy and technology infrastructure fixes following that incident [1].

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to an email seeking comment. A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to discuss ongoing investigations.

References:
[1] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/russian-hackers-lurked-in-us-courts-for-years-took-sealed-files