Anonymous Discord shares vast amounts of data on Russia

On October 4, 2023, the specialized media outlet, Cybernews, published a study of an Anonymous Discord server dedicated to Russia, and designed to assist in computer attacks. The famous hacktivist group has compiled a number of databases on organizations and Russian public figures. These databases are a mix of data leaks, publicly available data and OSINT.

Some shared files cover a specific type of critical infrastructure or body, such as Roscosmos (Russia’s civil space program). Others contain information on individuals and companies with ties to the State. For example, one file is titled “corrupt civil servant data leak.”

Some databases gather more technical information, such as a list of vulnerable security cameras on Russian soil. Others index the social media accounts of Russian personalities, pro-Russian activists and propagandists, particularly members of Killnet.

“Attackers can easily use the type of data shared on the Discord for the first stage of a cyberattack,” explains the Cybernews research team. Hacktivists also use the server to coordinate cyberattacks, in particular DDoS attacks on Russian targets. Some recent messages were for example aimed at Crimea and Russian airports.

From the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Anonymous openly sided with Kiev, and has since waged a relentless cyber war against Moscow and its allies.