Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 22 hrs ago
AfD email breach exposes hundreds of thousands of messages and records
A September cyberattack on the AfD’s hosting provider exposed emails and other party records in Germany.
The AfD, the country’s most prominent far-right party, said only a few accounts were copied but that a large amount of data was taken from them.
The extent is described differently: one account puts the breach at more than 345,000 unique email addresses, while another counts more than 420,000 emails and attachments.
The leaked material includes personal details of members and contacts, as well as messages that have prompted scrutiny of party decisions and conduct.
The party disputes the reliability of some online summaries and says affected account owners were notified and security authorities informed.
The stolen material is already being examined and published, but the AfD has not said whether the raw emails are authentic.
A cyberattack on AfD’s email hosting provider exposed hundreds of thousands of emails and attachments, along with more than 345,000 unique email addresses.
The party said only a few email accounts were illegally copied but acknowledged that a large amount of data was taken from them.
The leaked files include party correspondence and extensive membership and contact lists, including personal details.
AfD has challenged AI-generated summaries of the emails, while reports based on the files have raised questions about party figures and donations.
- Who
- Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was targeted; the data includes information about party members and contacts.
- What
- A cyberattack on the party’s hosting provider led to the theft and publication of emails, attachments and personal records.
- When
- The attack was reportedly first spotted on September 9. AfD disclosed it the week before The Register’s October 27 report.
- Where
- The attack targeted AfD’s hosting provider, Alternita Dienstleistungs GmbH. The leaked material was published online.
- Why
- Not stated.
AfD
Reporting based on the leaked files
Interpretation of summaries
AfD
AfD says AI-generated summaries rely on keywords rather than context and that alleged scandals published so far do not stand up to scrutiny.
Reporting based on the leaked files
Reports based on the files describe potentially significant revelations, including questions about Alice Weidel’s knowledge of donations.
Reliability of the material
AfD
AfD has said the AI summaries should not be trusted and has not commented specifically on the raw files’ veracity.
Reporting based on the leaked files
Der Spiegel reported findings from its review of the raw files; t-online described emails and records in the leak.
A list of registered participants at an AfD party conference in Stuttgart, including personal data, was published online.
The attack on AfD’s hosting provider was reportedly first spotted.
AfD issued a statement describing the attack as illegal and an attack on democracy.
The Register reported that Have I Been Pwned had confirmed more than 345,000 unique email addresses were exposed.
t-online reported that the leak included more than 420,000 emails and attachments.
- Unique email addresses
- More than 345,000
- Emails and attachments
- More than 420,000, according to t-online
- NRW file
- Data on more than 10,000 people
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern list
- 927 names
- Saarland list
- Around 300 names
3 sources
What people are saying
We are deeply concerned by what has happened
Such a digital attack is illegal and a criminal offense. Furthermore, it is an attack on the German party system and thus on democracy.
We are extremely worried that, apparently, the content of the stolen documents was analyzed using a very rudimentary AI.
The alleged scandals published so far do not stand up to scrutiny