U.S. Federal Court Filing System Breached Using Old Vulnerabilities

A significant breach has shaken the U.S. federal judiciary system, as hackers exploited security flaws dating back to 2020 in the CM/ECF (Case Management/Electronic Case Files) system. The attackers reportedly gained access to sealed and confidential documents across more than a dozen federal district courts. Such a breach raises serious concerns that sensitive information may have been leaked to organized crime groups, drug cartels, or hostile actors. In response, courts have begun reverting to manual paper filings in certain sensitive cases and are accelerating plans for a full modernization of their outdated digital systems. This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the danger of ignoring legacy vulnerabilities—unpatched weaknesses can linger for years and still cause devastating consequences.

Reference: politico