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Kash Patel's merchandise site hacked to distribute malware | brief

Scworld • May 22, 2026

As reported by TechCrunch, the merchandise website of FBI Director Kash Patel, Based Apparel, was taken offline on Friday following reports of a cyberattack aimed at infecting visitors with malware. The incident highlights ongoing security vulnerabilities affecting businesses associated with political figures.

The attack on Based Apparel, reportedly an attempt to distribute infostealer malware designed to steal user credentials, was first brought to light by a user on X. A security researcher subsequently analyzed the malware. As of Friday morning, the website remained offline.

This incident follows another security lapse involving Trump Mobile, which confirmed on Friday that it had exposed customer data, including names, email addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers. This exposure was revealed after a researcher alerted YouTubers who had purchased the company's phone. These events underscore the persistent risks of data breaches and malware distribution targeting online platforms, particularly those linked to prominent political figures.

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Kash Patel's Based Apparel Site Offline After Crypto Malware Attack The Based Apparel website, co-founded by FBI Director Kash Patel, was taken offline after being compromised by malware designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet credentials from macOS users. The malware, identified as an infostealer, prompted users to execute terminal commands that allowed attackers to harvest sensitive data, including session tokens and browser credentials. The attack specifically targeted over 200 crypto wallet browser extensions, raising significant security concerns. MetaMask issued warnings about potential malicious transactions related to the site. The website was reported to be offline on May 22, 2026, following alerts from security researchers and users on social media. The extent of the losses and the number of affected users remain unclear, with no specific cryptocurrency protocols implicated. This incident follows a previous security breach linked to Patel in March 2026, involving an email hack attributed to Iranian actors. 11 sources 66

Extracted Entities

Kash Patel's merchandise site hacked to distribute malware | brief

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (2)

Companies (2)

CWE Weaknesses (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (1)