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Life Sentence for 18-Year-Old GTA 6 Hacker

He was intent on returning to cybercrimes once released from prison.
by Natalie Collazo on December 21, 2023   

Arion Kurtaj has been sentenced to life in a hospital prison. The 18-year-old hacker is responsible for the theft and release of Grand Theft Auto 6 footage in 2022. His release relies on if he is deemed no longer a danger to others by medical professionals, according to a report by the BBC. In 2022, London police arrested Kurtaj in Oxford after a hacking spree. He had exposed in-development footage from Rockstar Games, including highly anticipated scenes from GTA 6. Despite pleading not guilty, Kurtaj stood trial for cybercrimes associated with the hacking group Lapsus$, which included breaches of Uber and Nvidia.



Rockstar Games Hacker Unfit To Stand Trial


Kurtaj's acute autism was the reason sourced for why he was deemed unfit to stand trial. Even though criminal intent was not mentioned, a jury later determined his responsibility for the hacks. The court found that Kurtaj managed to infiltrate Rockstar's systems from his hotel room. Interestingly, he did so using just an Amazon Firestick. During the breach, he was confident in saying that he was a hacker in the company's Slack. He later threatened to release the GTA 6 source code unless Rockstar engaged in negotiations. Again, interestingly, he wanted negotiations via Telegram.


A mental health assessment during sentencing did not help him either. It revealed Kurtaj's persistent intent to return to cybercrime as soon as possible. Court testimony also alleged violent behavior during his custody for the trial. As a result, Kurtaj will spend the rest of his life in a secure hospital.


Life Sentence for 18-Year-Old GTA 6 Hacker


Other Big Companies Have Been Attacked Recently


The GTA 6 hack was part of a series of recent cyberattacks on major game studios and publishers. These include CD Projekt Red, Capcom, and, most recently, Insomniac Games. While other breaches exposed personal employee information, the GTA 6 security breach was limited to gameplay clips. While it's true that leaks are an injustice to the companies involved, Kurtaj's lawyer believes otherwise. He pointed out that the trailer is now the most-watched video on YouTube, implying that sales prospects will not be severe.


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