Cisco has acknowledged that it is investigating reports of a data breach after a hacker began offering allegedly stolen firm data for sale on a hacking platform.
As per a report in a local media outlet, the investigation was launched following claims made by a well-known hacker identified as “IntelBroker.”
“Cisco is aware of reports that an actor is alleging to have gained access to certain Cisco-related files,” a Cisco spokesperson stated. “We have launched an investigation to assess this claim, and our investigation is ongoing.”
The allegations surfaced after IntelBroker claimed, along with two others designated as "EnergyWeaponUser" and "zjj," that they infiltrated Cisco's servers on June 10, 2024, and obtained a large amount of developer-related data.
IntelBroker's post on a hacking forum showed that the data would include "GitHub projects, GitLab projects, SonarQube projects, source code, hard-coded credentials, certificates, customer SRCs, Cisco confidential documents, Jira tickets, API tokens, AWS private buckets, Cisco technology SRCs, Docker builds, Azure storage buckets, private and public keys, SSL certificates, Cisco premium products, and more." The hacker uploaded samples of a database, client information, multiple files, and screenshots of customer management interfaces.
According to a recent update from IntelBroker, the breach also involves the theft of sensitive data from other major global companies such as Verizon, AT&T, and Microsoft. The stolen data is now allegedly being offered for sale on the cybercrime platform Breach Forums, with IntelBroker specifying that the transaction would take place in exchange for Monero (XMR), a cryptocurrency known for its anonymity properties.
The hacker expressed a willingness to use an intermediary to facilitate the sale, assuring anonymity for both the buyer and seller. This technique is often used by hackers to evade detection by authorities.
IntelBroker, which is known for high-profile data thefts, has already claimed responsibility for compromising other prominent firms. In June 2024, IntelBroker reported that they had infiltrated Apple, taking source code for internal tools, as well as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), stealing employee and product information. In May 2024, IntelBroker claimed to have hacked Europol, which the organisation later confirmed.
IntelBroker did not provide any specific details on the techniques employed to acquire the data. The stolen data originated from a third-party managed services provider that specialises in software development and DevOps, according to sources knowledgeable with the breaches who spoke with BleepingComputer. It's still unclear if the earlier June incidents and the recent Cisco hack are linked.
