Hacker Linked To Anonymous Charged In Texas Republican Party Breach

The United States Department of Justice filed charges against Canadian hacker Aubrey Cottle, also known as “Kirtaner”, for allegedly breaking into the Texas Republican Party website in 2021.

Federal authorities revealed last week that Cottle stands accused of defacing the party website along with stealing private information which he distributed through the internet. Cottle allegedly broke into the Texas GOP website through Epik security vulnerabilities while he was an ex-Anonymous member.

He accessed the web server backup data, which included private information, and later distributed the 180-gigabyte file through BitTorrent. The website displayed two messages which read “JET FUEL DOESN’T MELT STEEL” and “Trans demon hackers are coming to get you,” as reported by Cyber Scoop.

According to the complaint, the investigation identified Cottle through an IP address that retrieved the stolen data. Additionally, the complaint claims that a TikTok account, called “Kirtaner,” released videos where Cottle appeared bragging about the hacking incident.

FBI agents discovered proof in the Discord channel Cottle launched during his 2005 time on the platform. The document shows how he wrote “OH I GAVE THE CHILDREN THE SQLI EXPLOIT VULN GAB CODE ALREADY” followed by the statement “epik hosting’s f—ed,” as reported by Cyber Scoop.

A search of Cottle’s Ontario home uncovered 20 terabytes of information, which included his claims of obtaining “root access” to Epik’s network through emails. A message with the topic “oops I control the Texas GOP” was found among his emails, says Cyber Scoop.

A solid-state drive from his residence included a folder called “EpikFailYouLostTheGame” which contained personal data from the Texas GOP website, reports Cyber Scoop.

The hacker frequently admitted his involvement in past break-ins through public statements. During his 2022 conversation with CyberScoop, he explained that Canadian law enforcement agents took his home computers and storage devices as well as his Guy Fawkes mask during their raid. According to Cottle, Epik deserved the attack because it provided services to right-wing extremist websites.

According to The Record, a conviction would result in five years of prison time for Cottle due to identity theft and unauthorized access to a protected computer. The Texas Republican Party along with Epik maintain absolute silence about this legal matter.