Hackers hijack CDU account in Heilbronn; phishing email hits 6,500 contacts and Merz
Unknown attackers used a hijacked email account of the CDU in Heilbronn to send a fake invitation, including to ministries and the chancellor. Police say many recipients work in security.
Symbolic image · Photo: usicegov / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Unknown attackers hacked the email account of the CDU in Heilbronn and used it to send out a mass of suspected phishing messages. Recipients included ministries, other political contacts and Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), according to dpa. The message contained a link with an invitation to an event featuring prominent guests. A copy also reached the newsroom of the German Press Agency.
"According to initial findings, the email went to around 6,500 contacts, many of whom are in security-related fields," a spokesperson for Heilbronn police told dpa. "We know, for example, that messages also went to the chancellor." Police said the figure is preliminary. Investigators believe it was a phishing attempt, that is, an attempt to obtain login credentials or other sensitive information.
It remains unclear when the account was taken over, who is behind the attack and whether any recipients responded to the link.