ShinyHunters claims breach of Florida DMV, threatens data leak

The ShinyHunters cybercrime group claims it compromised systems containing driver and vehicle records and is threatening to release stolen data on September 11.

As purported evidence, the group posted a screenshot showing what appears to be a record from DAVID, Florida’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database.

CyberInsider could not independently verify ShinyHunters’ claims, the authenticity of the displayed record, or whether the data came from a direct compromise of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).

ShinyHunters listed the “State of Florida DMV” on its leak site on September 7 and issued a “final warning” demanding contact before its September 11 deadline.

In communications with CyberInsider, ShinyHunters claimed it gained access through a password-reset exploit and then compromised accounts linked to FBI personnel with access to the state motor-vehicle portal. The threat group also told us that the agency has not engaged in negotiations with them.

Driver and vehicle services in Florida are handled by FLHSMV, which oversees licensing, registrations, highway safety, and related records across the state.

The screenshot shared by ShinyHunters appears to show access to DAVID, a restricted database used by law enforcement and other authorized organizations. DAVID can contain sensitive information including driver's license applications, photographs, signatures, addresses, vehicle histories, insurance information, and related records.

The incident does not appear to be related to the separate IDScan.net exposure involving approximately 153 million purported driver's license scans. ShinyHunters previously attempted to buy that dataset from Nexus, but the group says the Florida claim is separate.

FLHSMV has not publicly confirmed a breach, and CyberInsider has not identified an official incident notice related to the claim.

CyberInsider has contacted FLHSMV to ask whether the displayed DAVID record is authentic, whether it has detected unauthorized access, and whether the department is investigating ShinyHunters’ allegations, but we are still waiting for a response.