British boy, 17, is charged with hacking Uber and Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar
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A 17-year-old boy from Oxfordshire in England has been arrested in connection with recent high-profile hacks by Uber and Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar.
According to Matthew Keys’ reporting The desk, the unnamed teen is being held on charges of conspiracy to attack at least two computer systems.
A brief statement from the City of London Police Department confirmed the arrest of a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire on suspicion of hacking on the night of September 22.
The teenager was arrested at his mother’s house, where he lives.
He was arrested by Britain’s National Cyber Crime Unit in conjunction with FBI colleagues in the United States
Due to his age, he has not been mentioned by name, although The Desk shared a pixelated photo of the boy fishing. Police in London have said he remains in custody while the investigation continues.
He appeared before the UK juvenile court today to answer two counts of breach of bail and two counts of computer abuse. Juvenile courts in England are not open to the public.
Retweeting the statement from the City of London police, the BBC’s Joe Tidy wrote: ‘This is very important. But we can’t say why because of the reporting restrictions…”
On September 18, the hacker released gameplay of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment of the best-selling video game, in one of the biggest leaks in gaming history.
The hack released 90 videos of gameplay and revealed the identities of the game’s protagonists, including a playable female character named Lucia for the first time.
The hacker was identified by the initials AK from The Desk and by the online name Teapottuberhacker.
Due to his age, the suspect in the hacking has not been named
The original message from the alleged hacker, known as Teapottuberhacker, who announced the leak
Grand Theft Auto is one of the best selling brands in gaming; the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI has been in development since 2014
At the time of the GTA leak, the hacker also claimed to be behind the cyber attack on Uber. to sit
The Desk further reported that AK has ties to hacker group Laspu$$, which has been linked to the Samsung, Microsoft and Cisco hacks.
The group usually steals source code from technology companies and then holds it for ransom, while threatening to release it publicly, leaving companies vulnerable to further infiltration.
Following those incidents, AK was reportedly living with his mother in Oxfordshire while those cases were pending.
His actions were also investigated by the FBI.
A hacker has released gameplay of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment of the best-selling video game, in one of the biggest leaks in gaming history
At the time of the GTA leak, the hacker also claimed to be behind the cyber incident at Uber.
He later posted on the forum about seeking to “negotiate a deal” with Take-Two Interactive Software, owner of Rockstar, which publishes the GTA games.
According to multiple reports, the hacker gained access through the company’s Slack communication channels.
The hacker gained access by lying to Uber and Rockstar employees and impersonating an IT employee, reports the New York Times.
The unprecedented leak includes more than an hour of footage of robberies, gun battles and open-world driving and was posted to the GTAForums bulletin board over the weekend.
It also shows some fully voiced conversations between characters, including a female protagonist, in a fictionalized modern Miami known as Vice City.
In a statement published on its social channels, Rockstar said it was “extremely disappointed” that details about the game were being shared in this way, but claimed the leak would not delay the project.
“We recently experienced a network intrusion where an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto,” Rockstar said in a statement.
“At this point, we do not expect any disruption to our live game services, nor any long-term impact on the development of our ongoing projects.
In a statement published on its social channels, Rockstar said it was “extremely disappointed” that details about the game were being shared in this way, but claimed the leak would not delay the project.
“We are very disappointed that all the details of our next match are being shared with you in this way.
“Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game continues as planned and we remain as committed as ever to providing you, our players, with an experience that truly exceeds your expectations.
We’ll be updating everyone again soon and of course we’ll introduce you to this next game properly when it’s ready. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support in this situation.”
Multiple videos have been removed from YouTube and Twitter at Take-Two’s request, confirming the legitimacy of the substantial leak, first reported by Bloomberg News on Sunday.
Take-Two has also reportedly ordered two of the largest online Grand Theft Auto communities to remove all links to the GTA VI footage.
“Do not share media or links to leaked copyrighted material. Discussion allowed,” read a banner on the GTAForums homepage.
The hacker, who goes by the name Teapottuberhacker, claimed that the videos were downloaded from a Slack channel, probably from a Rockstar employee.
“It’s a public relations disaster, potentially reversing production and hurting morale,” financial services firm Jefferies wrote in a customer note, warning that potential leaks of the game’s source code could pose a greater threat.
“If the source code leaks, significant changes may be required under the hood of the game to ensure the stability and server integrity of GTA VI Online once it launches.”
Gamers and investors have been waiting for the release of GTA VI for years, the development of which was confirmed in February, leading to a jump of more than 7 percent in Take-Two shares.
In July, it was revealed that the game will be set in a fictionalized version of Miami and will feature a playable female protagonist for the first time.
The woman, rumored to be “Latina,” will reportedly be one of the main characters in a story influenced by bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde.
The release could provide a much-needed boost to the US gaming company, which forecast weak annual sales in August.
The gaming industry, which some analysts consider ‘recession-proof’, is beginning to see some weakness as inflation-hit consumers cut their spending on entertainment.
Shares of Take-Two Interactive Software fell nearly 6 percent in pre-market trading Monday, following the report.
However, Jefferies analysts were optimistic about the game’s success.
“Based on what we see, the game is further along than many think and (the leak) will not affect the game’s reception/sales,” the analysts said.
According to Bank of America Global Research, GTA VI will generate an estimated $3.5 billion in bookings at launch and an annual average of $2 billion thereafter.
Many developers shared public support for Rockstar after the leak, including Xbox Vice President Sarah Bond.
“My thoughts are with the Rockstar Games team,” Bond wrote.
“It can be disheartening to have a project you’ve worked hard on to surprise, reveal and criticize fans before it’s done.
“I know they’re making something special and I can’t wait to experience GTA6 when it’s officially unveiled.”