Hacking group claims mass data theft from Shell, Philips, GE, Fiserv and dozens of others

A hacking group, identified as Cl0p, has alleged a massive data breach affecting over 50 organizations globally, among them Philips, Shell, Fiserv, and GE. The group reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in PTC Windchill and FlexPLM, software utilized for engineering and manufacturing processes. Philips and Shell have both acknowledged the potential breach, stating they are conducting investigations.

Philips confirmed the identification and containment of an attempted cybersecurity compromise of an internal server, while Shell is working with its security teams. Fiserv maintains it has found no evidence of compromised customer data or operational environments. GE stated it is aware of the claim and is assessing the potential issue.

The hacking group's claims remain unverified by Reuters. Ransom-ISAC, an industry information sharing group, alerted businesses to the group's exploitation of specific vulnerabilities on July 22. PTC has issued security advisories urging customers to apply a patch and shared details about an unidentified attacker targeting its products.

Threat intelligence manager Brandon Parsons described Cl0p as "professional data extortionists" who target zero-day vulnerabilities rather than specific companies.