British boy, 17, is charged with hacking Uber and Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar to leak footage from upcoming game, after joint investigation between FBI and English cops
- A 17-year-old boy in the United Kingdom appeared in court in London to answer for charges related to computer misuse
- The teenager, from Oxfordshire, has been linked to the recent hacking of Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar and of Uber
- On September 18, the hacker released 90 videos of gameplay for Grand Theft Auto, which has been in development since 2014
- The teenager is reportedly a member of the group Laspu$$
- The group's MO is to steal source code from tech companies and then hold it to ransom while threatening to release it, making the companies vulnerable
A 17-year-old boy from Oxfordshire in England has been arrested in relation to recent high-profile hackings of Uber and Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar.
According to reporting from Matthew Keys' The Desk, the unnamed teen is being held on charges that include conspiracy to attack at least two computing systems.
A brief statement from the City of London Police Department confirmed the arrested of a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire on suspicion of hacking on the night of September 22.
The teenager was apprehended at his mother's house, where he lives.
He was arrested by the UK's National Cyber Crime Unit in cooperation with counterparts from the FBI in the United States
Due to his age, he has not been named, although The Desk shared a pixelated photo of the boy out fishing. The police in London have said he remains in custody as the investigation continues.
He appeared in youth court in the UK today to answer to two counts of breach of bail conditions and two counts of computer misuse. Youth courts in England are not open to the public.
In retweeting the City of London Police statement, the BBC's Joe Tidy wrote: 'This is very significant. But we can't say why because of reporting restrictions...'
On September 18, the hacker released gameplay of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment of the best-selling video game, in one of the biggest leaks in gaming history.
The hack saw the release of 90 videos of gameplay as well as revealing the identity of the game's protagonists, including for the first time a playable female character named Lucia.
The hacker was identified by the initials AK by The Desk and by the online moniker Teapottuberhacker.
The Desk went on to report that AK is associated with the hacker group Laspu$$, which has been linked to the hacks of Samsung, Microsoft and Cisco.
The group usually steals source code from tech companies and then holds it for ransom while threatening to release it publicly, thus making companies vulnerable for further infiltration.
Following those incidents, AK was reported to have been living with his mother in Oxfordshire while those cases are pending.
His actions were also being investigated by the FBI.
At the time of the GTA leak, the hacker also claimed to be behind the cyber incident at Uber.
Later, he posted a message on the forum about seeking to 'negotiate a deal' with Take-Two Interactive Software, owner of Rockstar, which publishes the GTA games.
Multiple reports have said the hacker gained access through the company's Slack communication channels.
The hacker gained access by lying to employees of Uber and Rockstar and impersonating an IT worker, reports the New York Times.
The unprecedented leak includes over an hour of footage showing robberies, gunplay and open-world driving and was posted on the GTAForums message board last weekend.
It also shows some fully voiced conversations between characters, including a female protagonist, in a fictionalized modern-day Miami, known as Vice City.
In a statement published on its social channels, Rockstar said it was 'extremely disappointed' to have details on the game shared in this way, but claimed the leak would not delay the project.
'We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto,' Rockstar said in a statement.
'At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects.
'We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way.
'Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations.
'We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.'
Multiple videos have been removed from YouTube and Twitter at the request of Take-Two, confirming the legitimacy of the substantial leak, which was first reported by Bloomberg News on Sunday.
Take-Two has also reportedly ordered two of the largest online Grand Theft Auto communities to take down any links to the GTA VI footage.
'Do not share media or links to leaked copyrighted material. Discussion is allowed,' a banner on GTAForums' homepage read.
'It's a PR disaster, possibly sets back production and hurts morale,' financial services company Jefferies wrote in a client note, warning the potential leak of the game's source code could pose a bigger threat.
'If the source code leaks, it could necessitate significant changes under the hood of the game to ensure its stability, and the server integrity of GTA VI Online once it launches.'
Gamers and investors have been waiting for years for the release of GTA VI, the development of which was confirmed in February, leading to a more than 7 percent jump in Take-Two shares.
In July, it was revealed the game will be set in a fictionalized version of Miami, and will feature a playable female protagonist for the first time.
The woman, who is said to be 'Latina,' will allegedly be one of a pair of leading characters in a story influenced by the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde.
The release could offer a much-needed boost to the US gaming company, which forecast weak annual sales in August.
The gaming industry, considered by some analysts as 'recession proof', has started to see some weakness as inflation-hit consumers rein in spending on entertainment.
Shares of Take-Two Interactive Software tumbled nearly 6 per cent in pre-market trading on Monday, following the report.
However, Jefferies analysts were optimistic about the game's success.
'Based on what we see, the game is further along than many believe and (the leak) won't impact game reception/sales,' the analysts said.
GTA VI is estimated to generate bookings of $3.5 billion at launch and an annual average of $2 billion thereafter, according to Bank of America Global Research.
Many developers shared public support for Rockstar following the leak, including Xbox corporate vice president Sarah Bond.
'My thoughts are with the team at Rockstar Games,' Bond wrote.
'It can be disheartening to have a project you’ve worked hard on to delight fans revealed and critiqued before it’s ready.
'I know they’re creating something special and can’t wait to experience GTA6 when it’s officially unveiled.'
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2022-09-24 23:12:56Z
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