The hacker group NullBulge recently claimed to have successfully infiltrated Disney's internal communication platform, stealing over 1TB of data, and is now leaking this information online to protest Disney's "anti-art" stance towards artists. The group stated that their actions are aimed at "protecting the rights of artists and ensuring they receive fair compensation."
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, these files contain internal conversations about software development, recruitment, website maintenance, and employee plans at Disney, with a time span that can be traced back to at least 2019. Eurogamer reports that details about upcoming game collaborations and announced video game sequels have also begun to emerge through the leaked files.
NullBulge claims that their goal is to protect artists' rights and compensation, pointing to Disney's treatment of artist contracts, its attitude towards artificial intelligence, and its disregard for consumers. The threat of AI to the livelihoods of creative professionals was a major concern that prompted Disney animators to join a union and was one of the main reasons behind the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Disney has also been criticized for using AI to produce the end credits for its Disney Plus series "Secret Invasion," and reportedly established a task force to study the application of AI in its entertainment portfolio.
In June, NullBulge drew attention for hacking a popular AI image generator, Stable Diffusion, by injecting malware into its plugin, leading to further theft of user login credentials. This recent attack on Disney similarly demonstrates their alignment with the stance against AI-generated artwork.
NullBulge did not demand ransom from Disney but chose to immediately release the stolen data to act before their potential targets were aware of the attack. An anonymous spokesperson for the organization said, "We have some good stuff, and the attack has just begun."
This hacking incident has raised questions about its motives. Cybersecurity expert Ilya Kolochenko pointed out that hacktivists rarely carry out such large-scale attacks to protect intellectual property and artists' rights, suggesting that this might just be a smokescreen to hide their true identities and motives.
NullBulge stated that their intrusion was achieved through a game modification tool installed by a developer that they had already controlled. The organization explicitly states on its website that any involvement with cryptocurrency and AI-generated artwork is against their principles, as they believe these activities harm the creative industry.
Key Points:
1. 💾 The hacker group NullBulge claims to have stolen over 1TB of Disney's internal data and is leaking it online to protest the company's stance towards artists.
2. 🔍 The group states its goal is "to protect artists' rights and ensure fair compensation," without demanding any ransom.
3. 🎮 NullBulge claims to have infiltrated Disney's network through a game modification tool installed by a developer and has released a series of leaked data.