Elon Musk has confirmed that a significant cyberattack has targeted his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, resulting in substantial operational disruptions. Initial reports suggest that the attack has been highly orchestrated, potentially involving a well-organized group or nation, with indications pointing toward Ukraine.
The X platform experienced considerable downtime, beginning on March 10 and lasting until around 9:30 a.m. ET. Users began encountering access issues at approximately 5:30 a.m. ET, with subsequent outages reported intermittently throughout the morning. An increase in error messages around 11 a.m. ET has led to speculation that the disruptions were a result of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.
In a post on the platform, Musk articulated that this disruption stemmed from a collaborative effort aimed at disabling its system. He specified that the attack was traced back to internet protocol addresses associated with Ukraine, emphasizing the scale and resource demands of the operation. Musk remarked, “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X,” and noted that such significant attacks typically involve extensive coordination from large groups or potentially state actors.
The disturbances were not consistent; users reported varying lengths of outages, with some lasting approximately 45 minutes followed by brief recoveries. However, there was also a notable instance where one outage persisted for several hours, indicating a complex attack affecting service reliability.
The assertion that Ukraine is implicated in the attack has raised eyebrows, with some analysts suggesting Musk’s political affiliations may be influencing his assessment. This scrutiny is heightened by the ongoing geopolitical context, including the U.S. political landscape’s response to the Ukrainian conflict.
Musk stated that internal investigations are underway, with security teams focused on tracing the origins and methodologies of the attack. The difficulty in accurately determining the true source of such cyber incidents is well documented, as investigations can extend over days or weeks, requiring detailed analysis to ascertain the specifics of the breach.
Complicating matters, a group known as the DarkStorm Team has claimed responsibility for the X attack. Established in 2023, this group has garnered attention for its pro-Palestinian stance and alleged connections to Russia, previously targeting entities in Israel and NATO countries through DDoS attacks.
Cybersecurity experts have weighed in on the situation. Casey Ellis, the founder of a leading crowdsourced cybersecurity platform, has pointed out that the combination of the prolonged service interruptions and the claims made by the DarkStorm Team suggests a legitimate cyberattack on X.
In assessing the adversary tactics likely employed in this incident, several relevant MITRE ATT&CK techniques come to mind. Initial access could have been gained through phishing or exploiting vulnerabilities, while persistence might have been established through backdoor installations. Additionally, the nature of DDoS attacks aligns with tactics aimed at service disruption, ultimately targeting the availability of the platform.
As the investigation progresses, the full scope and implications of this cyber event will become clearer, emphasizing the imperative for business owners to remain vigilant against such coordinated threats in today’s digital landscape.
