Hackers linked to the Iranian government have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email account, publishing photos and documents dating from 2011 to 2022. A source confirmed to CNN that the materials, including family photos and apartment search details, were authentic. The breach exposed personal, business, and travel correspondence with various contacts.

Security researcher Ron Fabela described the hack as accessing 'someone's personal junk drawer' rather than compromising FBI systems. The stolen materials include pre-directorship photos of Patel that the hackers claimed were taken from his account. Reuters first reported the breach on Friday, which comes amid warnings about potential Iranian cyber retaliation following US and Israeli military actions in Iran.

This is not Patel's first encounter with Iranian hackers. In late 2024, officials informed him that Iranian-backed groups had targeted his communications as part of a broader campaign against incoming Trump administration officials. The same Iranian hacking group previously disrupted operations at a major US medical device manufacturer, claiming retaliation for a missile strike on an Iranian elementary school. The Justice Department has accused these hackers of working for Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.