The European Space Agency (ESA) has been hit by a serious cybersecurity breach, with hackers reportedly stealing a large volume of internal data.
The leaked materials are believed to include scientific files, proprietary software, security credentials, and mission-related documents. Some of the data reportedly contains references to major aerospace partners such as Airbus, SpaceX, and Thales Alenia Space. ESA has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway.
According to a report, the first incident occurred on Boxing Day, when a hacker known as “888” published more than 200GB of stolen data. Shortly after, a group calling itself Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters claimed responsibility for an additional breach, alleging that around 500GB of data was taken due to an unpatched security vulnerability. ESA stated that it is cooperating with authorities to address the situation.
Cybersecurity experts note that such attacks are often made possible by weak security practices or infostealer malware, which can collect login credentials, session cookies, and other sensitive information.
While ESA has said there is no immediate threat from the leaked data, experts warn that combined datasets could expose strategic information and create future security risks. Responsibility for the vulnerabilities may lie with ESA itself or its contractors.
The incident highlights a growing trend of cyberattacks targeting space agencies. Both ESA and NASA have increasingly become targets as competition in the space sector intensifies, prompting renewed calls for stronger cybersecurity defenses.