Cyberpunk 2077 makers CD Projekt hit by ransomware hack
The maker of popular video game Cyberpunk 2077 has been hacked in a ransomware attack.
CD Projekt Red said hackers had accessed its internal network, digitally scrambled some of its data servers and tried to blackmail it.
The perpetrators claim to have stolen source code for several of the firm's games which they said they would leak unless a payment was made.
But the Polish games company said it would not negotiate.
In a statement on Twitter, CD Projekt Red posted a copy of the ransom note which said the hackers had copied code from Cyberpunk 2077, Gwent, and Witcher 3, including an unreleased version of the latter.
“We have also dumped all of your documents relating to accounting, administration legal, HR, investor relations and more!” the note added.
"Dumping" means copying the information to an external source.
“If we will not come to an agreement, then your source codes will be sold or leaked online and your documents will be sent to our contacts in gaming journalism,” read the note, giving a deadline of 48 hours.
Source code is the human-readable version of a computer program before it is transformed for use. Releasing it could make it easier for people to write hacks for the titles or even publish their own altered versions, as well as reveal some of their development secrets.
In a statement, posted by the game developers on Twitter, it said it has secured its “IT infrastructure and begun restoring the data” from back-ups.
“We will not give in to the demands or negotiate with the actor,” it said, adding that no personal data had been compromised in the breach.
The company has informed law enforcement and data protection authorities, while it investigates the issue.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55994787