GTA Modder’s October 2022 Data Breach Exposed Over 100,000 Emails

A site that documents cybersecurity incidents reveals that a Grand Theft Auto modder has exposed more than 100,000 email addresses since October 2022. This is the second data breach that the franchise has been associated with since GTA6 was leaked online in 2022.

After Rockstar Games had been allegedly compromised, YouTube leaked clips from the upcoming GTA 6. Although the content was removed from YouTube, it meant that fans were accidentally served footage of an incomplete version of Rockstar Games’ most anticipated title. Take-Two’s CEO called the GTA6 leak “emotional” in which the executive asserts that the incident could hurt the company’s future. It seems that this was not the only GTA-related security incident in the year.

According to one of the latest entries on Have I Been Pwned, approximately 101,000 emails were stolen from mod-menu provider RealDudesInc in October 2022. Although the site claims that many of these addresses are temporary guest email addresses, the leaked data also includes usernames and bcrypt password hashes. According to Have I Been Pwned, 16% of the leaked data was already available on the site. This would indicate that a large portion of these account details could have been compromised through data breaches in the past.

It’s important to note that GTA has not been the only gaming entity to be affected by cybersecurity incidents. Ubisoft was the victim of a cybersecurity breach in early 2022 that had a temporary impact on its games and other services. The incident did not result in any data being leaked. In November of the same year, GameStop was allegedly subject to a data breach. Even though the company claimed no breach occurred at the time,

Although the October incident is related to a third party it’s not surprising that the GTA franchise as well as its fanbase were the targets of data breaches on two occasions within two months. It’s not clear how significant this breach will have on the community at the moment, especially considering the active participation by modders within GTA. Although fans will be eager to see the next installment in the GTA, it is unclear how that will affect the franchise’s future.