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Operation Talent, a large-scale international law enforcement effort, has successfully dismantled two major cybercrime forums, Cracked and Nulled. These platforms, with a combined user base exceeding 9 million, were hubs for the distribution of illegal goods, including stolen data, malware, and hacking tools. The operation, led by German authorities with the cooperation of eight countries, involved the seizure of 12 domains, 17 servers, over 50 electronic devices, and approximately €300,000 in cash and cryptocurrencies. Two individuals were arrested in Spain and are believed to be the main operators of both forums and related services.

The takedown of Cracked and Nulled, executed between January 28th and 30th, also targeted associated services like Sellix, a payment processor used by Cracked, and StarkRDP, a hosting service promoted on both platforms. Investigators estimate that the suspects generated around €1 million in criminal proceeds through these illegal activities. Europol played a key role, providing forensic and analytical support to the authorities. The collaborative effort highlights the growing threat of “cybercrime-as-a-service”, where readily available tools and infrastructure are used to launch attacks by those with varying levels of technical knowledge.

ImgSrc: www.bleepstatic

References :

• ciso2ciso.com: International Operation Dismantles Cracked and Nulled Cybercrime Hubs – Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
• www.bleepingcomputer.com: Police seizes Cracked and Nulled hacking forum servers, arrests suspects
• www.helpnetsecurity.com: Cybercrime forums Cracked and Nulled seized, operators arrested
• www.the420.in: Global Cybercrime Forums Cracked and Nulled Shut Down in International Sting Operation
• Pyrzout :vm:: International Operation Dismantles Cracked and Nulled Cybercrime Hubs – Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
• Techmeme: Europol and German law enforcement arrest two suspects and seize 17 servers to take down Cracked and Nulled, two of the largest hacking forums with 10M+ users
• securityonline.info: Europol Smashing Cybercrime Hubs: Cracked & Nulled Taken Down
• www.techmeme.com: Techmeme summarizes the news about the Europol takedown of Cracked and Nulled hacking forums, citing BleepingComputer as a source.
• securityonline.info: Security Online summarizes the Europol operation that led to the takedown of Cracked and Nulled cybercrime forums.
• The Hacker News: The Hacker News reports on the authorities seizing the domains of popular hacking forums as part of a major cybercrime crackdown.
• Help Net Security: Cybercrime forums Cracked and Nulled seized, operators arrested
• hackread.com: Operation Talent: Two Arrested as Authorities Dismantle Cracked and Nulled
• cyberinsider.com: This article discusses Europol and the FBI's coordinated takedown of the large cybercrime forums, Cracked and Nulled.
• CyberInsider: In a coordinated international effort, Europol and the FBI have dismantled Cracked.io and Nulled.to, two of the world's largest cybercrime forums, seizing their domains and shutting down associated services.
• securityaffairs.com: Operation Talent: An international law enforcement operation seized Cracked, Nulled and other cybercrime websites
• socradar.io: Operation Talent: FBI Takes Down Cracked.io and Nulled.to in Global Cybercrime Crackdown
• techcrunch.com: International police coalition takes down two prolific cybercrime and hacking forums
• www.justice.gov: This website contains the latest news about cybersecurity incidents and attacks.
• BleepingComputer: Europol and German law enforcement confirmed the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of 17 servers in Operation Talent, which took down Cracked and Nulled, two of the largest hacking forums with over 10 million users.
• infosec.exchange: NEW: An international coalition of law enforcement agencies announced it has seized and taken down two prominent hacking forums with more than 10 million users. German police called Cracked and Nulled “the world’s two largest trading platforms for cybercrime.â€� Operation has also led to several arrests, searches of properties, as well as seizure of servers, electronic devices, cash, and cryptocurrency.
• : U.S. Department of Justice : See parent toot above for EUROPOL announcement. The U.S. DOJ finally has their own press release for the takedown of cybercrime forums Cracked and Nulled. It has substantially more information about each case, definitely worth a read.
• The420.in: Global authorities have dismantled Cracked.io and Nulled.to, two major cybercrime forums with 10M+ users.
• DataBreaches.Net: Law enforcement has been busy. As reported yesterday, Cracked and Nulled forums were seized along with services associated with them financially.
• thecyberexpress.com: This website provides cybersecurity news and updates on various attacks.

Classification:

• HashTags: #OperationTalent #Cracked #Nulled
• Target: Cybercriminal ecosystem
• Type: Hack
• Severity: Major