An Iranian-linked hacking group named Handala compromised the private email of FBI Director Kash Patel, releasing his photos and files.

The FBI acknowledged the security incident, clarifying that the accessed data was old and did not involve sensitive government information.

Handala made a public claim on their website Friday, stating they had added Patel to their list of victims and that they had successfully bypassed the FBI’s supposedly secure systems rapidly.

The hackers claim this action was retaliation for the FBI’s seizure of Handala’s data leak sites and the U.S. government’s offer of a $10 million bounty for information about the group’s members.

Nevertheless, the hackers gained access to the FBI Director’s personal Gmail account.

Handala proclaimed that “All personal and confidential information of Kash Patel, including emails, discussions, documents, and even classified files are available for public download,” before revealing proof of the data breach.

Soon after, the group released watermarked personal images and documents that they extracted from Patel’s inbox, in addition to email exchanges that had occurred before his appointment as FBI director.

The FBI commented to BleepingComputer, stating that they were aware of hackers “targeting Director Patel’s personal email information.”

The agency also mentioned that required precautions have been taken to minimize the potential negative impact of the breach.

Handala, a hacktivist collective, previously infiltrated the Microsoft infrastructure of medical technology firm Stryker and erased data from nearly 80,000 devices.

This cyber actor, also known as Handala Hack, Hatef, and Hamsa, emerged in December 2023, and is known as a hacktivist group that conducts cyber operations linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

In their statement regarding the compromise of Director Patel’s personal email account, the FBI restated the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program’s $10 million reward “for details identifying members of the Handala Hack Team operating out of Iran.”