Zerobytes breached French tax authority and targeted government agencies
Zerobytes hacked French tax authority and multiple government and private targets in 2025.
Event / Security
Zerobytes French Government Cyberattacks
The Zerobytes group conducted cyberattacks on French government agencies and private companies in June-July 2025, exposing data from 678,000 individuals and businesses. French authorities arrested two suspects, with an 18-year-old facing up to 10 years imprisonment and a minor released pending investigation. Attacks targeted tax authority, education, labor, telecommunications, and retail sectors.
2 reported locations
Daily activity
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2026-09-04 to 2026-11-07 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 4 Sept, 17:16 UTC
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What happened
French government launches victim notification campaign following tax authority breach
Following the Zerobytes cyberattack on the French tax authority, the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques initiated a campaign to contact affected individuals and businesses to alert them to risks of phishing and identity theft. The government presented apologies to affected taxpayers and officials initiated an audit through the National Agency for Information Systems Security (Anssi).
18-year-old suspected Zerobytes hacker member arrested and detained in French tax authority breach
An 18-year-old man suspected of being a member of the Zerobytes hacker group and participating in cyberattacks against the French tax authority (fisc) was examined by prosecutors and placed in provisional detention on September 4, 2025. The suspect is a known repeat offender who had been previously examined twice for cyberattacks committed in 2023 and 2024 while still a minor and was under judicial control at the time of arrest. He was arrested on August 18, 2025 and faces up to 10 years imprisonment and 300,000 euros in fines for a series of cyber offenses and criminal association.
French prosecutors open formal investigation into tax authority cyberattack
The Paris prosecutor's office opened a formal investigation upon receipt of initial complaints on July 31, 2025, before the attack was publicly claimed by the Zerobytes group. The investigation was assigned to the Anti-Cybercriminality Office (Ofac). A judge of instruction now leads ongoing investigations to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the attacks.
Zerobytes hacker group also targeted French government agencies and private companies
In addition to the tax authority breach, the Zerobytes hacker group is responsible for cyberattacks against multiple other targets including the Ministry of National Education (Créteil academy and French Agency for Education Abroad), France Travail, the French Handball Federation, retailer Intermarché, and telecommunications company SFR.
Second suspect under 16 arrested in French tax authority breach investigation
A second suspect aged less than 16 years old was arrested and placed in police custody in connection with the Zerobytes attacks on the French tax authority. The suspect was subsequently released at the conclusion of police custody to allow investigators to examine their computer equipment.
Zerobytes hacker group breached French tax authority in June and July 2025
The Zerobytes hacker group conducted cyberattacks against the French tax authority (Direction Générale des Finances Publiques) in late June and late July 2025, resulting in the theft of sensitive data from at least 678,000 individuals and businesses. The stolen data included fiscal information such as tax reference income, family quotient, and tax withholding rates for individuals, as well as company data including business names and SIREN identification numbers.
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