The hack cost Rockstar Games $5 million.

The 18-year-old Lapsus$ hacker who played a critical role in leaking Grand Theft Auto VI footage has been sentenced to life inside a hospital prison, according to a report from the BBC. A British judge ruled on Thursday that Arion Kurtaj is a high risk to the public because he still wants to commit cybercrimes.

In August, a London jury found that Kurtaj carried out cyberattacks against GTA VI developer Rockstar Games and other companies, including Uber and Nvidia. However, since Kurtaj has autism and was deemed unfit to stand trial, the jury was asked to determine whether he committed the acts in question, not whether he did so with criminal intent.

  • deweydecibelEnglish
    125•1 year ago

    The use of “sentenced to life” here is one of the most blatant click/ragebait headlines I’ve seen in a while. And looking at the comments, people are eating it up.

    He has not been sentenced to life. He’s in a hospital until deemed fit to release, because he’s destroying property, injuring people, and declaring a desire to return to crime.

    Yeah, it’s funny when it’s Rockstar, less so when it’s your social media or bank. If he can’t bring himself to at least commit to saying he won’t do something illegal just to get through court, then his lack of self control speaks to someone who’s going to do some shit and wind up arrested again.

    If the staff can get him to calm down enough to stand trial, he’s out.

    Also, remember he was already put on bail once:

    A mental health assessment used as part of the sentencing hearing said he “continued to express the intent to return to cyber-crime as soon as possible. He is highly motivated.”

    The jury was told that while he was on bail for hacking Nvidia and BT/EE and in police protection at a Travelodge hotel, he continued hacking and carried out his most infamous hack.

    Despite having his laptop confiscated, Kurtaj managed to breach Rockstar, the company behind GTA, using an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV and a mobile phone.

    • @PM_Your_Nudes_Please
      73•1 year ago

      The dude hacked Rockstar while in police custody for hacking other companies. They were transporting him and stopped for the night. They locked him inside a hotel room after clearing out anything that he could potentially use to hack. But they missed an Amazon Firestick in the back of the TV. Using that and his room phone, he hacked Rockstar, then when he was caught he told police he’ll do it again as soon as he’s released.

      Yeah, the dude is compulsive. It’s an obsession for him.

        • Chetzemoka
          20•1 year ago

          Yeah isn’t this the part of the movie where he gets recruited from jail by James Bond or something? That’s literally a plot point in at least one Mission Impossible movie, isn’t it? Lol

      • @Grimy
        22•1 year ago

        They won’t be able to stop him. He literally needs that cube they put magneto in.

      • PikaEnglish
        15•1 year ago

        This sounds like something out of a movie plot holy cow

      • @QuaternionsRock
        4•1 year ago

        Using that and his room phone

        Did you read the article?

        Kurtaj still managed to carry out an attack on Rockstar Games by using the room’s included Amazon Fire Stick and a “newly purchased smart phone, keyboard and mouse,” according to a separate BBC report.

      • @[email protected]
        4•1 year ago

        Huh? I heard he bought it from a local store (he was unattended) along with a cell phone, not that it was already the the room?

    • @masquenox
      19•1 year ago

      because he’s destroying property,

      Hold on while I dig out the world’s smallest violin for the property of billionaire parasites.

        • @masquenox
          2•1 year ago

          Hold on… I have an even smaller violin - you know, for all the people who love licking the boots of billionaire parasites.

          All that over-priced shoe polish must be really hard on your tongue.

          • @RubberElectrons
            5•1 year ago

            Just to clarify, you know I’m agreeing with you right?

              • @Retrograde
                3•1 year ago

                You can put away your second, very small violin now sir

              • @RubberElectrons
                2•1 year ago

                All good. I guess “for real, right?” has an intonation everyone in the NYC area gets, but maybe others don’t know. I’ll be more careful.

                Also, I’m stealing “overpriced shoe polish is bad for your tongue”. 😂