Cybercriminals Escalate October 17 Unrest With Wave of Data Leaks

Hackers contributed to recent turmoil by deliberately releasing numerous data leaks on the eve and day of the October 17 violence, targeting a range of organizations.

Smashed windows, looted stores, and... leaked data! As French streets erupted on Saturday, October 17, a wave of cybercriminal activity accompanied the unrest, aiming to support the movement. "Hello, as part of the October 17 operation, I'm leaking 3,400 documents from the Grande Loge Traditionnelle de France," announced Angel_Batista, a well-known hacker on the cybercrime forum PwnForums, on the evening of October 16, 2026.

One of Angel_Batista's data leak announcements related to October 17, 2026. © JDN

The cybercriminal announced other data leaks, each time expressing support for the October 17 operation. The victims include Nomad Education and Inter-Etab, apps used by schools to manage student study and internship programs, Unione Italiana Tiro a Segno, the Italian shooting federation, and O-Tacos, a fast-food chain. None of these organizations has confirmed the leaks so far. "Angel_Batista is always the most committed cybercriminal. He often posts messages against the State," says Thomas Lazzaroni, founder of cyberattaque.org, a website that tracks data leaks.

"That's a great initiative, Angel, for October 17," another PwnForums user encourages in response to the hacker's action. © JDN

"Before October 17, I saw messages on Telegram channels pointing to cybercriminal involvement in the day of action. I noticed hackers were posting less frequently before October 17. I realized they were still attacking information systems and waiting for the 17th to release their loot," the observer explains.

"Some sites have already been hacked and are being hacked again. You'll see some of them tomorrow:)," jokes and warns ChimeraZ, a cybercriminal, on the eve of October 17. © JDN

Angel_Batista was not the only one involved in cyberattacks on October 17. "ChimeraZ, another well-known PwnForums hacker, pulled off the biggest move. Usually, he leaks data every other day. On the evening of October 17, he changed his routine. Instead of posting data around midnight, he released it in the late afternoon and early evening. He spread databases over several hours."

The hacker claims to have leaked major data sets of gun owners. These include the Fédération française de tir, with information on 586,854 people, a gun shop whose name we will not disclose here, affecting 3,789 gun owners, and another exposing data on 35,303 customers. The leaked data includes ID photos and mailing addresses. None of these organizations has confirmed the leaks so far. For the record: the Fédération française de tir was already hit by a cyberattack in October 2025. In the weeks that followed, there were reports of gun thefts and attempted break-ins at the homes of some members.

Announcement of the Fédération française de tir data leak by ChimeraZ. © JDN

Other targeted organizations include the social protection group Malakoff Humanis, the Grande Loge Féminine de France, and the PRREL platform, a service used by the Hauts-de-France region to help high school students move on to higher education. Of these, only Malakoff Humanis has so far acknowledged a leak, specifying that it came from one of its service providers managing part of its insured clients.

This article was automatically translated from French. Read the original version: https://www.journaldunet.com/cybersecurite/1556813-emeutes-du-17-octobre-les-cybercriminels-participent-a-la-terreur-et-ciblent-des-armureries/