Jennifer Lawrence nude pictures leak: FBI hunts for hacker who posted naked star photos online
The FBI is leading the hunt for the hacker who stole and leaked naked photographs of a string of Hollywood actresses including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.
The person responsible apparently thanked “supporters” who shared the images before announcing he had to “move location” to evade capture.
More than 100 celebrities were reportedly targeted through their iCloud accounts, with images first posted on anonymous messaging board AnonIB, then reposted on another site, 4Chan.
Targets included Kim Kardashian, Ri-hanna, Kirsten Dunst, and models Kelly Brook, Candice Swanepoel and Kate Upton. A day after naked pictures of Spiderman star Dunst appeared online, she tweeted: “Thank you iCloud.”
It has been suggested that software was used to exploit an apparent weakness in Apple’s security systems, whereby infinite numbers of guesses of a password could be made, rather than just a small number of attempts — known as “brute force” hacking.
In a post yesterday, the hacker, called the “original guy” by other users, seemingly threatened to upload more im-ages, and asked for bitcoin donations. The hacker wrote: “Guys, just to let you know I didn’t do this by myself. There are several other people who were in on it and I needed to count on.
“This is the result of several months’ hard work. We appreciate your donations and applaud your excitement. I will soon be moving to another location from which I will continue to post.”
The FBI said: “The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter.”
About 60 nude selfies of Lawrence were reportedly hacked, with the individual also claiming to possess a video of the 24-year-old performing a sex act. Lawrence’s spokeswoman said: “This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos.”
Apple would not comment on a possible flaw in its system but said: “We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report.”
