Two Hackers Charged for DEA Portal Breach and Extortion
Two men, Sagar Steven Singh and Nicholas Ceraolo, have been charged for their roles in a series of cybercrimes. Singh, also known as 'Weep', and Ceraolo, who goes by 'Convict' or 'Ominus', are alleged to have hacked into a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) portal and engaged in extortion. They are part of a larger group called 'ViLE'.
On May 7, 2022, Singh used stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to a U.S. federal government portal, allowing him to view law enforcement databases tracking narcotics seizures. The hack was later reported by KrebsOnSecurity on May 12, 2022. Singh and Ceraolo are accused of posting victims' personal information on an online forum called 'Forum-1' and extorting them to remove it. ViLE members obtain personal information through various methods, including tricking customer service employees and accessing nonpublic government databases. Ceraolo is alleged to have posed as a police officer to request personal information about U.S.-based social media platform users. Singh is accused of sending threatening messages to a victim, including their personal information, demanding compliance and threatening harm to their parents. Ceraolo has been recognized in the past for discovering security vulnerabilities at major telecom companies.
Singh and Ceraolo face serious charges. If convicted, Ceraolo could spend up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while both face five years for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. The investigation into the 'ViLE' organization continues, with authorities working to dismantle this network specializing in illegal data theft and misuse.
