Espelette Municipality Hit by Cyberattack; Compromised Email Sends Malicious PDF
Summary
A malicious PDF disguised as a caterer’s invoice reportedly infected a computer at Espelette’s municipal office, disrupted its use, and led to the municipality’s compromised email account automatically sending the fraudulent message to others.
Key points
- The mayor said the incident happened on Friday, September 11, after a municipal employee opened a file named “FACTURE FC_PDF,” presented as an invoice from a regular canteen supplier.
- The mayor said the computer malfunctioned and became unusable, and that the malware took control.
- The malicious email was then sent automatically to people who correspond with the municipality.
- The municipality warned recipients not to open the PDF attachment.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Espelette municipality
- Victim Domain
- mairie-espelette.fr
- Incident Type
- Malware infection through a malicious PDF attachment, resulting in computer control and compromise of a municipal email account
- Operational Impact
- An infected computer became unusable, and the compromised [email protected] account automatically sent the fraudulent email to people who correspond with the municipality.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- None reported
- Claim Status
- confirmed