DOJ Investigates X Password Recovery Attack

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a large-scale password recovery attack that targeted hundreds of thousands of users on the social media platform X this week. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the investigation, stating that sophisticated cybercriminals attempted to exploit the platform's account recovery system. The attack, which began on September 1, 2026, involved users receiving waves of unrequested password reset emails. These messages appeared legitimate, originating from official X email addresses and containing the six-digit codes necessary to complete a reset. Despite the volume of emails, X disrupted the attack before any user accounts were compromised, according to officials. "X disrupted the attack to prevent user accounts from being captured," Attorney General Blanche said in a statement on September 2. "We are working closely with X to track down the criminals behind this week's attack." He emphasized that authorities would pursue cyber fraudsters and scammers regardless of their location.