A hacker claims to have recovered 11,000 records from the AMF: What we know

A claimed database, an unproven hack. An internet user claims to have leaked over 11,000 records associated with the Autorité des marchés financiers. According to FrenchBreaches, one of the specialists in this type of case reporting this publication today, the sample mainly contains information about funds and management companies. Since part of this data is normally public, its dissemination does not prove an intrusion into the regulator's systems.

Key Points

• An actor named << ChimeraZ >> claims to have published 11,173 records related to the AMF domain.
• The sample primarily describes financial products, their managers, and their approvals.
• The visible information could come, at least in part, from the public GECO database.
• No elements presented demonstrate exposure of accounts or personal investments of savers.

AMF: Over 11,000 records claimed on a forum

According to FrenchBreaches, the publication appears on a forum under the title << [FR] 11K AMF-FRANCE.ORG >>. Its author, who uses the pseudonym ChimeraZ, announces a file of about 49 MB, containing 11,173 records in a structured computer format.

These figures remain those of the claim. They do not necessarily correspond to as many distinct individuals, companies, or funds: several lines may describe different components of the same product or organization.

The presented excerpt notably concerns the fund FORTITUDE, its management company SOGELYM DIXENCE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, and the custodian CACEIS Bank. It includes names, regulatory references, addresses of headquarters, entity identifiers, and update dates.

However, FrenchBreaches does not identify in this sample any passwords, personal banking details, or balances or transactions of individual investors. The presence of a fund's name does not mean that the information of its subscribers is included in the file.

The exact origin and full content of the database remain to be determined. The elements presented are not sufficient to confirm access to a confidential internal system of the AMF. But doubt lingers.

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The public GECO database constitutes a possible explanation

A technical field containing the mention << affichageGeco >> particularly draws attention. GECO is the AMF's consultation database dedicated notably to collective investment products and management companies.

Its public interface already displays names, approval numbers, addresses, and professional contact details. It also offers a function to export management companies. The official guide describes access to authorized activities and managed products.

The hypothesis of an automated collection of public information is therefore plausible. However, it does not establish that every field of the claimed file was freely accessible. A detailed comparison remains necessary to identify any non-public information.

This claim occurs in a context of increasing alerts about data leaks in France, affecting companies, associations, and administrations. Their accumulation raises concerns about the protection of collected information. It also highlights the importance of verifying each case: computer intrusion, accidental exposure, and collection of public data do not present the same causes or consequences for the individuals involved.

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