Breaching Rockstar Games: How GTA 6 leaker exploited hotel TV and Amazon Fire Stick

It was a clever and audacious maneuver that allowed a GTA 6 leaker to breach Rockstar Games' security: exploiting a hotel TV and an Amazon Fire Stick.

In September of 2022, the gaming realm was thrust into turmoil with the emergence of 90 tantalizing video snippets showcasing an early glimpse into the much-anticipated blockbuster, Grand Theft Auto 6. These teasers, though incomplete, spread like wildfire across screens before swiftly being pulled from view, leaving an indelible mark on millions.

Breaching Rockstar Games: How GTA 6 leaker exploited hotel TV and Amazon Fire Stick

The investigative journey that ensued led authorities to the doorstep of an unexpected individual: an 18-year-old named Arion Kurtaj residing in the UK. This seemingly unassuming young man was a cog in the intricate machinery of the Lapsuss$ hacker collective. Notorious for orchestrating high-profile data breaches that targeted industry giants like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Okta, Lapsuss$ now found itself under the spotlight.

Kurtaj's trajectory into hacking infamy was not without prior chapters. A prior encounter with the law materialized in the aftermath of Nvidia's breach in February 2022, which resulted in his confinement to a Travelodge hotel in Bicester under tight bail conditions. These conditions explicitly prohibited internet access, yet they proved insufficient to stem the tide of his cyber escapades.

As recounted by a BBC exposé, Kurtaj wielded a modest arsenal consisting of an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a smartphone, a keyboard, and a mouse. Employing these rudimentary tools, he ingeniously breached the ramparts of Rockstar's cloud services, ingeniously accessing the internet via the hotel's television, flouting his bail restrictions.

The grand reveal took the form of unfinished glimpses into the enigmatic Grand Theft Auto VI, shared directly with Rockstar employees on the communication platform Slack. Adopting the persona of an assailant, Kurtaj issued threats to release the game's source code unless a rendezvous was arranged through Telegram.

Simultaneously, around 90 fragments of the game went live on the GTA Forums on September 18, 2022. Though the identity of the figure behind the moniker "TeaPotUberHacker," who propagated the footage on a GTA fan forum, remains shrouded in mystery, Kurtaj's subsequent apprehension paved the path to his impending trial.

Behind the scenes, it is conceivable that the leaker enjoyed the collaboration of fellow hackers within his cadre. One such accomplice, a 17-year-old harboring connections to both England and Brazil, likewise found himself ensnared in the legal web, confronting charges stemming from these audacious cyber forays.

While Rockstar Games has maintained a veil of secrecy around Grand Theft Auto 6's details, fans are left eagerly anticipating its potential 2024 release. In the interim, the timeless allure of Grand Theft Auto V continues to beckon, available across an array of platforms.