Hacker wipes parts of Romania's land registry database
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A hacker known as ByteToBreach breached Romania's land registry (cadastre) and wiped information from its databases, disrupting the country's real-estate market. Notaries report being unable to issue extracts, authenticate sales, or register mortgages since Tuesday. The incident follows a failed extortion attempt after the hacker exfiltrated the data using valid credentials.
The Breach
ByteToBreach, the same hacker who breached Sweden's e-portal earlier this year, entered Romania's cadastre system using valid credentials, according to sources speaking to Risky Business. The hacker exfiltrated data and later wiped information from servers after a failed extortion attempt. The stolen data was advertised for sale on two forums.
Market Disruption
Romanian notary Ana Stan posted that since Tuesday she cannot issue land registry extracts, authenticate sales, or register mortgages. The disruption halts new real-estate transactions weeks before the government plans to raise VAT on new homes to 21% from 9%. Citizens and notaries are unable to obtain proof of ownership.
Official Response
The National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Advertising (ANCPI) stated that its IT infrastructure is undergoing a comprehensive reinstallation and consolidation process. ANCPI claimed it has multiple backup locations ensuring data restoration capability, and that technical and legal databases were not affected. Euronews Romania reported that ByteToBreach apologized for the problems caused to citizens and the IT team.
What's Next
ANCPI is working to restore normal service, but no timeline has been provided. It remains unclear whether all data can be recovered or if the hacker still holds exfiltrated information.
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Hacker wipes parts of Romania's land registry database
