Hackers claim access to French Interior Ministry systems amid disputed breach details
BreachForums has resurfaced after a period of inactivity, returning with renewed threats aimed directly at French authorities. The forum’s administrators claim they have compromised systems belonging to France’s Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l’Intérieur) and obtained sensitive law enforcement data related to approximately 16.4 million individuals.
According to the group, the alleged breach includes access to critical internal databases such as the TAJ (criminal records database) and the FPR (wanted persons database). BreachForums also claims intrusion into systems associated with other French institutions, including DGFIP and CNAV.
The situation escalated further after an email announcing the forum’s return appeared to originate from an official domain linked to the French Interior Ministry. Initial assessments suggested a classic email spoofing attempt. However, subsequent analysis indicated that the message was sent using Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), suggesting potential unauthorized access to a legitimate email account rather than simple sender forgery.
French authorities have acknowledged detecting suspicious activity on their email servers but have downplayed the scale of the incident. BreachForums, meanwhile, continues to leverage this acknowledgment to reinforce its narrative of a successful compromise.
One particularly concerning detail is the reported email configuration: the affected domain was operating with a DMARC policy set to “none.” This configuration significantly reduces protection against email abuse and may have allowed malicious messages to pass without being blocked or flagged.
At this stage, there is no independent confirmation regarding the actual volume or sensitivity of data allegedly accessed or exfiltrated. What is clear, however, is that BreachForums is attempting to reassert itself as a major player in the cybercrime ecosystem, using high-profile claims to regain visibility and influence.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further technical verification will be required before the full scope of the incident can be determined.