Hungarian boy hacks email linked to the bomb threats, uncovers a Russian tie – UPDATED
A bomb threat targeting over a hundred Hungarian schools has sparked speculation of a Russian link after a 15-year-old programmer hacked the email behind the threats. His findings revealed ties to a Yandex account and suspicious activity pointing to possible Russian involvement. While the boy’s claims have gained attention, Hungarian authorities have yet to comment on his investigation, leaving questions about the true source of the threats unanswered.
Teachers carry out the task of bomb technicians
As Szeretlek Magyarország reports, a bomb threat targeting 121 schools caused widespread alarm on Thursday after institutions received a menacing email sent via a foreign server. In some Budapest schools, including Csík Ferenc Elementary and Secondary School, teachers were tasked with checking classrooms due to a lack of bomb squads, according to reports. Gergely Gulyás stated that police are stationed at the affected schools, but teaching will continue unless headteachers decide on extraordinary holidays, particularly where many pupils have been taken home. Authorities, including the secret service, have launched an investigation into the threats of public danger.
Hungarian boy hacks email connected to the bomb threats
As Pénzcentrum writes, the email address used for the bomb threat targeting Hungarian schools was hacked, revealing a trail of suspicious activity. A 15-year-old programmer, who allegedly decrypted the address, shared his findings on Reddit. The email domain, “harcos@coredp.com,” originally belonged to a legitimate company until its closure in 2010. Since then, the domain changed hands multiple times, being linked to activities ranging from call girl services to scam websites and APK downloads, some potentially malicious. The programmer’s detailed investigation sheds light on the domain’s murky history, raising questions about its use in the bomb threat.
A possible Russian tie?
The programmer’s investigation into the bomb threat email uncovered a potential Russian connection. He discovered that the email address was linked to both a Pornhub account and a yandex.ru account, the latter suggesting a possible Russian tie. While he managed to access the Pornhub account, finding only video preferences, he was unable to reset the Yandex account without further details.
Notably, the same threatening emails sent to Hungarian schools were also sent back to the address itself. The programmer speculated that the attackers, potentially Russian or state-sponsored, may have orchestrated the threats as a coordinated effort, similar to incidents in Slovakia and Serbia. However, he cautioned that the Russian link remains uncertain, as anyone could create a Yandex account to mislead investigators. In addition, it is important to note that the authorities have not yet confirmed any of the information found by the 15-year-old boy.
UPDATE: Opposition politician reacts
Márton Tompos, President of the Momentum opposition party, thinks that Russians are behind the bomb threats. He explains in a Facebook post that the bomb threats targeting Hungarian schools resemble incidents in Slovakia and the Czech Republic last year, where Russian involvement was suspected. The emails share similar Islamist rhetoric, but intelligence, including Czech secret service insights, points to Moscow. Tompos calls on Hungary’s National Security Committee to convene urgently, with assurances of direct participation to address the issue.
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