ISTANBUL

Hackers affiliated with the Iranian government have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal emails and posted photos and documents taken from his account, CNN reported on Friday.

The hackers have released multiple photos of Patel taken before his tenure as FBI director, claiming that they were taken from his personal email. A source with knowledge of the situation verified the images to the CNN.

According to an initial CNN assessment of the files, conducted with assistance from an independent cybersecurity researcher, the compromised emails seem to span roughly from 2011 to 2022, and include a mix of personal, professional, and travel-related communications Patel had with various contacts.

The researcher, Ron Fabela, said that what the hacking group describes as a breach of “impenetrable” FBI systems is actually far less dramatic, involving ordinary personal materials such as family photos and information related to Patel’s past apartment search.

“This isn’t an FBI compromise — it’s someone’s personal junk drawer,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Iran-linked hacking group had also carried out a cyberattack that interfered with operations at a major US medical device company.

At the time, the group claimed the attack was in retaliation for a missile strike on an elementary school in Iran, which Iranian state media reports resulted in the deaths of at least 168 children.

The Pentagon has stated that it is looking into the incident. The US Justice Department has accused the hackers of working for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.