Data Breach at French Tax Authority Exposes Records of Nearly 700,000 Taxpayers

The French tax authority, DGFiP, confirmed a data breach that occurred in late June 2026, affecting approximately 680,000 taxpayers. The hacker, known as ZeroBytes, claimed to have accessed sensitive data through stolen credentials and a VPN exploit. The stolen data includes names, birthdates, addresses, and property information but does not contain banking details. The attack was initially detected in June but was not publicly acknowledged until August 12, 2026, when the hacker advertised the stolen data on a cybercrime forum. Investigations are ongoing, and the French data protection authority, CNIL, has been notified. The breach follows a series of cyberattacks on French public sector entities earlier in the year, raising concerns about systemic vulnerabilities within government systems.

Key Points: • The breach affected approximately 680,000 individuals and businesses. • The hacker exploited stolen credentials and a VPN access method to infiltrate the system. • This incident is part of a troubling trend of cyberattacks against French public sector agencies.