A pro-Iran hacker group claimed to have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email and posted purported contents from the inbox online.
Handala, which claimed responsibility in recent weeks for hacks against Stryker and Lockheed Martin in response to the Iran war, circulated images and documents online that they claimed to be from Patel’s email account. Many images include pictures of Patel in a personal capacity before becoming FBI director.
The leaks appear to be authentic, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the breach.
The incident was first reported by Reuters.
“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity. The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information,” the bureau said in a statement after this story published.
Handala said it carried out the intrusion after the FBI last week said it seized domains used by the group.
“Today, once again, the world witnessed the collapse of America’s so-called security legends,” the group wrote on its website. “While the FBI proudly seized our domains and immediately announced a $10 million reward for the heads of Handala Hack members, we decided to respond to this ridiculous show in a way that will be remembered forever.”
The breach is likely legitimate, according to a former U.S. official who said that administration officials’ personal email accounts are a frequent target of Iranian hackers.
It would not be the first time that Iran-aligned hackers executed a “hack and leak” operation against U.S. targets. In 2024, the Trump campaign was accessed in an Iranian hack that exposed vetting documents for Vice President JD Vance.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include remarks from a former U.S. official and the FBI.
