ESA Faces Criminal Inquiry Over Alleged 500GB Data Breach by Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch a criminal investigation following claims by the hacking group Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters that they exfiltrated 500GB of sensitive data from its servers in September. The breach, reportedly exploiting an unpatched vulnerability, has raised concerns over the exposure of critical space program information. While ESA has not confirmed the attackers’ assertions, leaked data samples shared by the group include internal files from major contractors such as Airbus Group, SpaceX, Teledyne, Deimos Imaging, Thales Alenia Space, and SkyLabs. The compromised data allegedly contains operational procedures, details on Earth Observation satellite constellations, system capabilities, security protocols, and mission-specific files related to ESA’s space programs. This incident follows ESA’s recent acknowledgment of a separate breach involving external servers, where over 200GB of purportedly stolen data was leaked on BreachForums. The full scope and impact of the breach remain under scrutiny as authorities prepare to investigate.