Which Group Hacked Sony?

The RansomedVC ransomware group has claimed responsibility for hacking Sony, alleging that they have compromised all of Sony’s systems, while another hacker known as MajorNelson has also made similar claims. Additionally, the Clop ransomware gang has been linked to a zero-day exploit used in a large-scale attack that compromised Sony Group in late June, leveraging a critical-severity SQL injection flaw known as CVE-2023-34362.

Frequently Asked Questions

Overview of Sony Hacks

1. Who did Sony get hacked by?: Sony has been hacked by various groups, including RansomedVC, MajorNelson, and the Clop ransomware gang, with the most recent incident involving a claim of full system breach by RansomedVC.
2. Have Sony systems been hacked?: Yes, Sony’s systems have been hacked on multiple occasions, with the company launching an investigation into the latest breach claim by RansomedVC.
3. Have Sony servers been hacked?: Yes, Sony’s servers have been hacked, with the company confirming that a server located in Japan, used for internal testing, was breached, resulting in the theft of 3.14GB of data.
4. Did Sony get hacked again?: Yes, Sony has been hacked again, with the RansomedVC ransomware group claiming to have compromised all of Sony’s systems, and the Clop ransomware gang Breaching Sony Group in late June.
5. Is the 2023 Sony hack real?: While the extent of the breach is unclear, RansomedVC has claimed responsibility for the hack, and Sony is investigating the allegations, with experts noting that the 6,000 Sony files claimed to be part of the leak is relatively small.

Historical Context

6. Who hacked Sony in 2011?: The Hacktivist group Anonymous brought down Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) with a Targeted Distributed-Denial-of-Service attack in 2011.
7. Who hacked Sony in 2014?: The 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment was attributed to three North Korean nationals, who were charged by the U.S. Justice Department in 2021.
8. How was Sony hacked in 2023?: The Clop ransomware gang used a zero-day exploit known as CVE-2023-34362, a critical-severity SQL injection flaw, to breach Sony Group in late June.

Ransom and Extortion

9. Is Sony paying the ransom?: According to reports, Sony has not paid the ransom demanded by RansomedVC, with the group’s demands ranging from $54,000 to $218,000.
10. What hacker group hacked PlayStation?: The Lizard Squad hacking group is known for its DDoS attacks on gaming-related services, including PlayStation.

Technical Details

11. Who hacked PS3 first?: George Hotz, a well-known hacker, announced his initial intentions to breach the security of the PlayStation 3 in 2009 and achieved read and write access to the system’s memory in 2010.
12. What was stolen from Sony?: The malicious actors posted a 2MB compressed data sample containing Java source code files, Eclipse IDE screenshots, and a PowerPoint presentation.

Ownership and Structure

13. Does Michael Jackson own Sony?: The Jackson estate retained its ownership of Mijac Music, which holds the rights to Michael Jackson’s songs and master recordings, after Sony acquired the estate’s stake in Sony/ATV in 2016.
14. Is Sony still owned by Japan?: Sony Group Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
15. Is PS4 owned by Sony?: The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.