Disney’s Slack Messages Leaked by Hackers over AI Concerns

• A hacktivist group claimed to have leaked 1.2TB of data from The Walt Disney Company.
• The hackers allegedly got in via an inside collaborator who cut them off at some point and invoked AI concerns as the motive.
• The data stolen via the company’s internal Slack messages reportedly contain computer code and unreleased projects.

CNN reported on Monday that an activist hacker group claims to have leaked online data from Walt Disney's internal Slack messages. The stolen information includes details on advertising campaigns, unreleased projects, software development, studio technology, logins, APIs, and interview candidates, with the data spanning back to at least 2019.

Hacking group NullBulge said in an email sent to CNN that it is based in Russia and published 1.2TB of data from thousands of Disney Slack channels, to which it gained access through “a man with Slack access who had cookies,” adding their inside connection eventually cut them off.

The hackers mentioned a manager of software development at Disney and leaked all the sensitive data they had on the individual.

The email said the hackers targeted Disney because the group members were not happy with the entertainment giant's approach to artist contracts, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and consumers. The hackers decided to release the stolen data since the company is expected to refuse demands.

AI was in the limelight of the Screen Actors Guild, and the Writers Guild of America strikes negotiations, with writers concerned about being replaced by ChatGPT and actors fearing computer-generated imagery (CGI) could replace them.

The hints about the Disney leak started in June, when the hackers posted on X what appeared to be Disneyland Paris visitor, booking, and revenue details.

NullBulge markets itself as a hacktivist group, but some believe it may be connected to the LockBit ransomware operation due to its apparent use of a LockBit builder.

Disney announced on Monday they are investigating this alleged data leak.