Internet leak

An internet leak is the unauthorized release of information over the internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such as books or albums. For example, a musical album is leaked if it has been made available to the public on the Internet before its official release date.

Music leak

Source code leaks

Source code leaks are usually caused by misconfiguration of software like CVS or FTP which allow people to get source files through exploits, software bugs, or employees that have access to the sources or part of them revealing the code in order to harm the company.

There were many cases of source code leaks in the history of software development.

Developers may inadvertently leak source code by making mistakes when mastering. Two releases of Space Quest II contained parts of the source code to Sierra's AGI game engine,{{cite web | last=Ewing | first=Lance | title=The Space Quest II Master Disk Blunder | date=2024-05-22 | url=https://lanceewing.github.io/blog/sierra/agi/sq2/2024/05/22/do-you-own-this-space-quest-2-disk.html | access-date=2024-08-20}} and a particular release of Double Dragon II for the PC contained a deleted archive of the game source code.{{cite web | title=Double Dragon II: The Revenge Trivia | website=MobyGames | date=2019-07-01 | url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/1840/double-dragon-ii-the-revenge/trivia/ | access-date=2024-08-20}}[https://archive.org/details/DRAGONII DragonII] on archive.org
As Fraunhofer IIS released in 1994 had a low quality version of their MP3 encoding software (l3enc), a hacker named SoloH gathered the source code from the unprotected servers of the University of Erlangen and developed a higher quality version, which started the MP3 revolution on the internet.[https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2000/09/the-heavenly-jukebox/305141/ The heavenly jukebox] on The Atlantic "To show industries how to use the codec, MPEG cobbled together a free sample program that converted music into MP3 files. The demonstration software created poor-quality sound, and Fraunhofer did not intend that it be used. The software's "source code"—its underlying instructions—was stored on an easily accessible computer at the University of Erlangen, from which it was downloaded by one SoloH, a hacker in the Netherlands (and, one assumes, a Star Wars fan). SoloH revamped the source code to produce software that converted compact-disc tracks into music files of acceptable quality." (2000){{cite book|author=Dr Charles Fairchild|title=Pop Idols and Pirates: Mechanisms of Consumption and the Global Circulation of Popular Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3M2hAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT75|year=2013|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-1-4094-9381-5|page=75}}[http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/1765/989 Technologies of Piracy? - Exploring the Interplay Between Commercialism and Idealism in the Development of MP3 and DivX] by HENDRIK STORSTEIN SPILKER, SVEIN HÖIER, page 2072, International Journal of Communication 7 (2013){{Cite web|url=https://www.online.nl/|title=Online.nl | Internet, TV en Bellen|website=www.online.nl}}
Around 1996 Electronic Arts accidentally put the source code of the video game FIFA 97 on the demo disc.[https://kotaku.com/5882488/when-ea-sports-accidentally-put-a-games-source-code-on-a-demo-disc When EA Sports Accidentally Put a Game's Source Code on a Demo Disc] by Luke Plunkett on kotaku.com (May 2, 2012)
In 2003, Axel Gembe, a German hacker, who had infiltrated Valve's internal network months earlier, exploited a security hole in Microsoft's Outlook to get the complete source of the video game Half-Life 2. The source code was leaked online a week later, a playable version of Half-Life 2 was compiled from the source code, revealing how unfinished it was. The leaks damaged morale at Valve and slowed development.{{cite web |last1=Keighley |first1=Geoff |title=The Final Hours of Half-Life 2 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-final-hours-of-half-life-2/1100-6112889/ |publisher=Gamespot |access-date=20 October 2021}} In March 2004, Gembe contacted Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve, and identified himself, saying he was a fan and had not acted maliciously. Newell worked with the FBI to invite Gembe to a fake job interview, planning to have him arrested in the USA; however, police arrested him in Germany as they had already detected his actions.{{Cite web |last=Parkin |first=Simon |date=May 25, 2014 |title=The boy who stole Half-Life 2 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-21-the-boy-who-stole-half-life-2-article |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128020137/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-21-the-boy-who-stole-half-life-2-article |archive-date=November 28, 2019 |access-date=December 1, 2019 |website=Eurogamer |language=en}}{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2003/10/07/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ |title=Playable Version of Half-Life 2 Stolen |work=CNN Money |access-date=February 14, 2007 | date=October 7, 2003}}{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-21-the-boy-who-stole-half-life-2-article |title=The Boy Who Stole Half-Life 2 - The story behind the $250 million robbery. |first=Simon |last=Parkin |date=February 21, 2011 |access-date=September 5, 2013 |publisher=eurogamer.net}} The complete source was soon available in various file sharing networks.
Also in 2003, source code to Diebold Election Systems Inc. voting machines was leaked. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Rice University published a critique of Diebold's products, based on an analysis of the software. They found, for example, that it would be easy to program a counterfeit voting card to work with the machines and then use it to cast multiple votes inside the voting booth.
In 2003 a Chinese hacker acquired the source code for Lineage II and sold it to someone in California who then used it to create a bootleg version of the game, powered by his own servers. Despite warnings from NCSoft that pirating an online game was considered illegal, he continued doing so for a few years, until the Federal Bureau of Investigation finally raided his home in 2007, seized the servers and permanently disabled the website that fronted his bootleg version of Lineage II.[http://www.mmorpg.com/lineage-2/news/fbi-shuts-down-lineage-ii-private-server-1000007104 fbi-shuts-down-lineage-ii-private-server] on mmorpg.com (2007)[https://web.archive.org/web/20071212021338/http://www.fbi.gov/page2/feb07/iptheft020107.htm CRACKING THE CODE Online IP Theft Is Not a Game] on FBI.gov (02/01/2007)
In 2003, one year after 3dfx was bought by Nvidia and support ended, the source code for their drivers leaked,[http://www.golem.de/0305/25378.html Treiber-Quellcode von 3dfx im Netz aufgetaucht - Von Nvidia offenbar geduldet] by Christian Klaß on Golem.de (May 7, 2003, in German) resulting in fan-made, updated drivers.[http://nuangel.net/NuDrivers/ NuAngel.net Drivers] on nuangel.net
In 2004, a large portion of the Windows NT 4.0's source code and a small percentage (reportedly about 15%) of Windows 2000 (formerly Windows NT)'s were leaked online.[http://www.pcworld.com/article/114771/article.html Windows Code May Be Stolen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731034443/http://www.pcworld.com/article/114771/article.html |date=July 31, 2013 }} on PC World by Joris Evers (February 2004) The Windows 2000 (NT) source code leak was analysed by a writer for (now defunct) website Kuro5hin who noted that while the code was generally well written, it allegedly contained about "a dozen" instances of profanity and the milder euphemism "crap". The writer also noted that there were a lot of code hacks, with the "uglier" ones mostly being for compatibility with older programs and some hardware.{{Cite web|url=http://atdt.freeshell.org/k5/story_2004_2_15_71552_7795.html|title=We Are Morons: a quick look at the Win2k source {{!}}{{!}} kuro5hin.org|website=atdt.freeshell.org|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909101357/http://atdt.freeshell.org/k5/story_2004_2_15_71552_7795.html|url-status=dead}} It was feared that because of the leak, the number of security exploits would increase due to wider scrutiny of the source code. It was later discovered that the source of the leak originated from Mainsoft.{{cite web

| url=http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3312621

| title=Mainsoft Eyed as Windows Source Code Leak

| publisher=internetnews.co

| date=February 13, 2004

| access-date=July 3, 2009}}{{cite web

| url=http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/41807/microsoft-updates-code-leak-statement-mainsoft-fingered.html

| title=Microsoft Updates Code Leak Statement, Mainsoft Fingered

| publisher=windowsitpro.com

| date=February 19, 2004

| access-date=July 3, 2009

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201194441/http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/41807/microsoft-updates-code-leak-statement-mainsoft-fingered.html

| archive-date=February 1, 2010

| url-status=dead

}}

Also in 2004, partial (800 MB) proprietary source code that drives Cisco Systems' networking hardware was made available in the internet. The site posted two files of source code written in the C programming language, which apparently enables some next-generation IPv6 functionality. News of the latest source code leak appeared on a Russian security site.{{cite web|url=http://www.SecurityLab.ru|title=SecurityLab|access-date=June 15, 2015}}
In 2006, Anonymous hackers stole source code (about 1 GiB) for Symantec's pcAnywhere from the company's network. While confirmed in January 2012, it is still unclear how the hackers accessed the network.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/01/symantec-suspected-breach-in-2006-didnt-confirm-until-anonymous-revealed-source-code.ars|title=Symantec suspected source code breach back in 2006|work=Ars Technica|date=January 26, 2012 |access-date=June 15, 2015}}
In late 2007, the source code of Norton Ghost 12 and a Norton Anti-Spyware version were available via BitTorrent.
In December 2007 and January 8, a Pirate Bay user published the sources of five Idera SQL products via BitTorrent.
In January 2011 the "stolen source code" of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2008 was published on the Pirate Bay.
On May 20, 2011, EVE Online's source code was published by someone on a GitHub repository.{{cite web |url=http://www.geek.com/games/eve-online-source-code-posted-online-dmca-takedown-quickly-follows-1382821/ |title=Eve Online source code posted online, DMCA takedown quickly follows |first=Matthew |last=Humphries |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=November 7, 2015 |publisher=geek.com |quote=It looks as though someone has posted the source code for the space MMO Eve Online there. As you’d imagine, developer CCP isn’t too happy about this and was quick to issue the takedown request. |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118134516/http://www.geek.com/games/eve-online-source-code-posted-online-dmca-takedown-quickly-follows-1382821/ |url-status=dead }} After being online for four days, CCP Games issued a DMCA take-down request which was followed by GitHub.[https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown dmca/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108180512/https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown |date=November 8, 2015 }} on GitHub
In 2011, the source code of GunZ: The Duel v1.5 became available online.[https://ragezone.com/2011/11/20/gunz-1-5-source-code-released/ Gunz 1.5 Source Code released.] on ragezone.com (November 20, 2011)
In December 2011, the source code of the Solaris 11 operating system's kernel was leaked via BitTorrent.[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTAzMDE Oracle Solaris 11 Kernel Source-Code Leaked] on Phoronix by Michael Larabel (on December 19, 2011)
In August 2014 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky's X-Ray Engine source code (and its successor) became available on GitHub under a non-open-source license.[https://github.com/OpenXRay/xray xray] on github.com (August 2014)[https://github.com/OpenXRay/xray-16 xray-16] on github.com
On December 29, 2015, the AmigaOS 3.1 source code leaked to the web, confirmed by the rights holder Hyperion Entertainment.{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AmigaOS-3.1-Leak-Confirmed| title=Hyperion Confirms Leak Of AmigaOS 3.1 Source Code

|date=January 5, 2016| publisher=Phoronix |first=Michael |last = Larabel}}[http://commodore.ninja/amiga-os-kickstart-and-workbench-source-coded-leaked/ amiga-os-kickstart-and-workbench-source-coded-leaked] on December 29, 2015

In January 2017 the source code of Opera's Presto Browser engine was leaked to GitHub.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/operabrowser/comments/5nk69m/presto_engine_source_code_available_on_github/|title=Presto engine source code available on GitHub : operabrowser|date=January 12, 2017 }} The source code was shortly after taken down with a DMCA notice.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/prestocore/browser/network|title=github.com/prestocore|website=GitHub}}
In June 2017 a small part of Microsoft's Windows 10 source code leaked to the public. The leak was of the Shared Source Kit, a small portion of the source code given to OEMs to help with writing drivers.[https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/24/windows-10-source-code-leak-embarrassment-microsoft/ Windows 10 source code leak is an embarrassment for Microsoft - It's less serious than initially thought but still important, given security is high on everyone’s mind.] by Swapna Krishna on engadget.com (June 24, 2017)
In February 2018, the iBoot bootloader for Apple operating systems' source code was leaked onto GitHub by an Apple engineer. The code was from 2016, and by the time it was leaked, iBoot had been restructured, making it obsolete.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-iphone-iboot-source-code-leaked-on-github/|date=February 12, 2018|title=How a Low-Level Apple Employee Leaked Some of the iPhone's Most Sensitive Code}}
On April 22, 2020, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2 code was leaked.{{cite web |last1=Tassi |first1=Paul |title=Valve Says 'Team Fortress 2,' 'CS:GO' Code Leak Is No Cause For Concern |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/04/22/warning-team-fortress-2-csgo-steam-leak-reportedly-exposes-players-to-hacking/ |website=Forbes |access-date=April 24, 2020 |language=en}}
Some time during March 2018, Nintendo suffered a significant leak when a hacker obtained an alleged 2 TB of confidential material containing source codes to game consoles, games, and internal documentation.{{cite web |last1=Schwartz |first1=Mathew J. |title=Hacker Who Hit Microsoft and Nintendo: Suspended Sentence |url=https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/hacker-who-hit-microsoft-nintendo-suspended-sentence-a-12310 |website=BankInfoSecurity |access-date=October 25, 2020 |language=en}} Starting in 2018, the contents of this breach slowly made their way onto the Internet, starting with iQue Player ROMs and various Pokémon games.{{cite web |title=Nintendo's iQue Player Hacked Fifteen Years After Launch |url=https://nintendosoup.com/nintendos-ique-player-hacked-fifteen-years-after-launches/ |website=NintendoSoup.com |date=April 29, 2018 |access-date=October 25, 2020}} Later in 2020, the leaks gained more attention and grew in size, culminating into the release of Wii and Nintendo 64 source code, and the so-called "Gigaleak", a massive release containing multiple N64 games' source code and SNES Prototypes.{{cite web |last1=Hernandez |first1=Patricia |title=Massive Nintendo leak reveals early Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon secrets

|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/26/21339018/nintendo-gigaleak-super-mario-64-zelda-pokemon-what-is-it-snes |website=Polygon |date=July 26, 2020 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |language=en}} After July 2021, no more releases have occurred.

On August 7, 2020, 20 GB of Intellectual property of Intel, including source code (in SystemVerilog and otherwise) of their system on chips leaked (with preserving git structure). That included Intel ME, Intel Microcode and software simulators of their hardware. Their various BIOS source code was also leaked. The SpaceX cameras firmware that Intel worked on also leaked. The data is being distributed through a torrent.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ryan |date=6 August 2020 |title=Intel Suffers Apparent Data Breach, 20GB of IP and Documents Leaked on to Internet |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/15962/intel-data-breach-20gb-of-ip-leaked |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901155611/https://www.anandtech.com/show/15962/intel-data-breach-20gb-of-ip-leaked |archive-date=1 September 2024 |access-date=2020-08-07 |website=www.anandtech.com}}
On September 23, 2020, Windows XP SP1 and Windows Server 2003 (notorious) complete source code depots were leaked. The archives included all the source code from the time it was used at Microsoft (notorious) , including documentation and build tools. The leak was first dismissed as illegitimate, but it was soon clear that it was legitimate, the source code contained Windows XP specific code and resources, later one user managed to compile the OS and pack it into an ISO image.{{cite web |last1=Cimpanu |first1=Catalin |title=Windows XP leak confirmed after user compiles the leaked code into a working OS |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-xp-leak-confirmed-after-user-compiles-the-leaked-code-into-a-working-os/ |website=ZDNet.com |access-date=October 25, 2020 |language=en}}
On January 4, 2021, Nissan North America source code was leaked online due to misconfiguration of a company Git server, which was left exposed online with a default username and password of admin/admin. Software engineer maia arson crimew learned of the leak and analyzed the data, which they shared with ZDNet. The repository reportedly contained Nissan NA mobile apps, parts of the Nissan ASIST diagnostics tool, Nissan's internal core mobile library, Dealer Business Systems and Dealer Portal, client acquisition and retention tools, market research tools and data, vehicle logistics portal, vehicle connected services, and various other back ends and internal tools, they reported.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-01-07|title=Nissan Source Code Leaked via Misconfigured Git Server|url=https://www.darkreading.com/risk/nissan-source-code-leaked-via-misconfigured-git-server/d/d-id/1339845|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107005407/https://www.darkreading.com/risk/nissan-source-code-leaked-via-misconfigured-git-server/d/d-id/1339845|archive-date=2021-01-07|access-date=2021-01-07|website=Dark Reading|language=en}}
On February 10, 2021, Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red (CDPR) announced hackers had targeted the company and attempted to hold it to ransom. On 6 June 2021, someone in possession of the data had leaked all of Cyberpunk 2077 code (96.02 GB of data in 7z archive) online publicly, while previously it was only{{cite web |last1=Kent |first1=Emma |title=CD Projekt's stolen source code, console SDKs and internal dev videos reportedly being shared online |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-04-cd-projekt-stolen-data-leak |website=Eurogamer |access-date=7 June 2021 |language=en |date=2021-06-04}} available in encrypted form.{{Cite web|last=Statt|first=Nick|date=2021-02-10|title=Cyberpunk and Witcher hackers auction off stolen source code for millions of dollars|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/10/22276664/cyberpunk-witcher-hackers-auction-source-code-ransomware-attack|access-date=2021-02-15|website=The Verge|language=en}}{{cite web |title=Секреты Киберплотвы: исходный код показал, что машины в Cyberpunk 2077 — это ездовые животные с дверьми |url=https://3dnews.ru/1041397/sekreti-kiberplotvi-ishodniy-kod-pokazal-chto-mashini-v-cyberpunk-2077-eto-ezdovie-givotnie-s-dvermi |website=3DNews - Daily Digital Digest |access-date=7 June 2021 |language=ru}}{{cite web |title=Разбор исходного кода Cyberpunk 2077. Машины — лошади с дверями, Винни-Пух и комментарии разработчиков |url=https://www.gametech.ru/news/2021/06/07/razbor-isxodnogo-koda-cyberpunk-2077-masiny-losadi-s-dveryami-vinni-pux-i-kommentarii-razrabotcikov |website=iXBT.games - санитары игровой индустрии |access-date=7 June 2021 |language=ru}}
On October 6, 2021, streaming site Twitch had its source code along with earnings reports of top streamers leaked by hackers on 4chan,{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=Ax|date=2021-10-06|title=Twitch source code, creator earnings exposed in 125GB leak|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/10/twitch-admits-to-major-leak-exposing-source-code-creator-earnings/|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}} citing the streaming site's negative community and desire for competition and disruption of the online video streaming space. The breach was confirmed by Twitch on X.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/twitch/status/1445770441176469512|title=We can confirm a breach has taken place. Our teams are working with urgency to understand the extent of this. We will update the community as soon as additional information is available. Thank you for bearing with us.|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Twitter|language=en}} The leak was distributed freely via a torrent file and was 135.17 GB in size. As a precaution, all the stream keys have been reset by Twitch.{{Cite web |last=Mathan |first=Gayatri |date=2021-10-07 |title=Twitch Data Leaked: Here's Everything You Need To Know - Game Specifications |url=https://www.gamespecifications.com/twitch-data-leaked/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |language=en-US}}
On February 25, 2022, ransomware group LAPSUS$ hacked NVIDIA and reportedly obtained 1 TB{{Cite web| last1=Gatlan |first1=Sergiu |date=2022-02-25 |title=GPU giant NVIDIA is investigating a potential cyberattack |website=BleepingComputer |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/gpu-giant-nvidia-is-investigating-a-potential-cyberattack}} of proprietary information. The group subsequently released a ~20 GB archive containing the source code for NVIDIA GPU drivers among other things.{{Cite web| last1=Ionut |first1=Ilascu |date=2022-02-28 |title=Hackers to NVIDIA: Remove mining cap or we leak hardware data |website=BleepingComputer |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-to-nvidia-remove-mining-cap-or-we-leak-hardware-data}} Details for a Nintendo Switch successor (Switch 2) were also found among the data.{{Cite web| last1=Doolan |first1=Liam |date=2022-03-01 |title='Switch Pro' Trends On Social Media After Massive Nvidia Leak Reignites Speculation |website=Nintendo Life |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/03/switch-pro-trends-on-social-media-after-massive-nvidia-leak-reignites-speculation}} It was also reported recently that the group also infiltrated Portuguese media conglomerate Impresa, the Ministry of Health in Brazil and Brazilian telecommunications company Claro.{{Cite web |last=titanadmin |date=2022-03-04 |title=Lapsus Ransomware Gang Ups the Ante with Impresa and NVIDIA Attacks |url=https://www.spamtitan.com/blog/lapsus-ransomware/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=SpamTitan |language=en-US}}
On September 18, 2022, Grand Theft Auto VI had a massive leak online, with 90 videos of the game being released.{{cite web | url=https://www.polygon.com/23359292/grand-theft-auto-6-gta6-leak-90-videos-released-online | title=Grand Theft Auto 6 leak reveals over 90 gameplay videos | website=Polygon | date=September 18, 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/gta-6-gameplay-videos-reportedly-leak-grand-theft-auto | title=GTA 6: Gameplay Videos Reportedly Leak | date=September 18, 2022 }} It was confirmed by a worker at Rockstar Games that the leak was real. The content of the leak received mixed reviews, with many calling the game unfinished and rushed, but many criticized these complaints by stating the game was not near completion. The leak itself, however, received negative reception, with many claiming it discredited the work of several employees. Publisher TakeTwo began taking down leaks on several different websites. Rockstar issued a statement on September 19, which stated they were "disappointed" with the leak.
The hacker who got the leak also got the source code for Grand Theft Auto V, and announced he would be selling both. Shortly after, he announced the GTA VI source code was no longer for sale, but was still selling the GTA V source code. This has been considered a form of blackmail. Not long afterwards, the hacker was arrested by the City of London Police on 22 September as part of an investigation supported by the National Cyber Crime Unit and American federal law enforcement, with his devices seized.
On January 25, 2023, leaked archive with approx. 44 GB of Yandex services has been published on Torrents.{{cite web | url=https://cybernews.com/news/yandex-source-code-leaked/ | title=Yandex source code leaked on a hacking forum | website=Cybernews | date=January 26, 2023 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/yandex-denies-hack-blames-source-code-leak-on-former-employee/ | title=Yandex denies hack, blames source code leak on former employee | website=Bleeping Computer | date=January 26, 2023 }}

= End-of-life leaks by developers =

Sometimes software developers themselves will intentionally leak their source code in an effort to prevent a software product from becoming abandonware after it has reached its end-of-life, allowing the community to continue development and support. Reasons for leaking instead of a proper release to public domain or as open-source can include scattered or lost intellectual property rights. An example is the video game Falcon 4.0{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/01/21/diehard_pilots_keep_falcon_flying/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040408111542/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/01/21/diehard_pilots_keep_falcon_flying/|archive-date=April 8, 2004 |access-date=June 28, 2016 |publisher=Boston.com|title=Diehard pilots keep Falcon flying|author=Hiawatha Bray|date=January 21, 2004}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cleared-to-engage.com/2011/03/12/interview-with-kevin-klemmick-lead-software-engineer-for-falcon-4-0/|title=Interview with Kevin Klemmick - Lead Software Engineer for Falcon 4.0 | publisher=Cleared-To-Engage |date=March 12, 2011 |first=Giorgio |last=Bertolone |access-date=August 31, 2014 |quote=[C2E] In 2000 the source code of Falcon 4.0 leaked out and after that groups of volunteers were able to make fixes and enhancements that assured the longevity of this sim. Do you see the source code leak as a good or bad event? [Klemmick] "Absolutely a good event. In fact I wish I’d known who did it so I could thank them. I honestly think this should be standard procedure for companies that decide not to continue to support a code base."|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318015840/http://www.cleared-to-engage.com/2011/03/12/interview-with-kevin-klemmick-lead-software-engineer-for-falcon-4-0 |archive-date=March 18, 2011}} which became available in 2000; another one is Dark Reign 2.{{cite web|url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/08/07/1225237/dark-reign-2-goes-open-source|title=Dark Reign 2 Goes Open Source |author=Timothy |date=August 7, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2013 |publisher=slashdot.org |quote=One of Activision's last RTS games, Dark Reign 2, has gone open source under the LGPL.}}{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/darkreign2/ |title=darkreign2 |publisher=Google Code |date=September 1, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2013}}

Other leaks

In late 1998, a number of confidential Microsoft documents later dubbed the Halloween documents were leaked to Eric S. Raymond, an activist in the open-source software movement, who published and commented on them online. The documents revealed that internally Microsoft viewed free and open-source software such as Linux as technologically competitive and a major threat for Microsoft's dominance in the market, and they discussed strategies to combat them. The discovery caused a public controversy. The documents were also used as evidence in several court cases.
Nintendo's crossover fighting video game series Super Smash Bros. has a history of having unconfirmed content leaked. Every game since, including 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been affected by leaks in some form:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii was leaked by a video on the Japanese language wii.com website, revealing unconfirmed playable characters on January 28, 2008 (three days before the game's Japanese release).
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U was afflicted in August 2014 by the "ESRB leak", where many screenshots and limited video footage of the 3DS version were leaked by a supposed member of the ESRB. The leak gained traction very quickly due to the screenshots mostly containing elements that the game ratings board would be interested in, such as trophies of suggestively-dressed female characters (some of which were later found to be edited or cut altogether in the final game).
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was leaked in its entirety two weeks before its release, allowing many to play and datamine in advance. While the entire roster of characters and stages had already been officially revealed, many unrevealed collectibles, music tracks, and story elements were discovered and distributed. This prompted Nintendo to issue copyright strikes to many YouTube and Twitch channels.
November 2009:{{Cite web|date=2009-11-20|title=Climate sceptics claim leaked emails are evidence of collusion among scientists|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/nov/20/climate-sceptics-hackers-leaked-emails|access-date=2020-10-28|website=the Guardian|language=en}} Climatic Research Unit email leak, aka Climategate
Several high-profile books have been leaked on the Internet before their official release date, including If I Did It, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and an early draft of the first twelve chapters of Midnight Sun. The leak of the latter prompted the author Stephenie Meyer to suspend work on the novel.
2010 My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has been filled with lot of leaks for later seasons on scenes, leaked full song to the theme song, leaked early released episodes before they got aired on Discovery Family, unfinished episodes, 2018–present there was leaks for the generation 5 as My Little Pony: A New Generation was the start.
On January 31, 2014, the original uncensored version of the South Park episode "201" was leaked, when it was illegally pulled from the South Park Studios servers and was posted online in its entirety without any approval by Comedy Central. The episode was heavily censored by the network when it aired in 2010 against the will of series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and was never formally released uncensored to the public. The episode was the second in a two parter and was censored after the airing of the first part as a result of death threats from Islamic extremists who were angry of the episode's storyline satirizing censorship of depictions of Muhammad.{{cite web|last=O'Neal|first=Sean|title=An uncensored version of South Park's controversial Muhammad episode has surfaced|date=January 31, 2014 |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/the-uncensored-version-of-south-parks-controversia-107422|publisher=The A.V. Club|access-date=April 3, 2014}}
In 2015, the unaired Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Boston" was leaked online. The episode was set to air during the fifth season as a response to a controversial publicity stunt for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters that occurred in the titular city, but Adult Swim was forced to pull it to avoid further controversy.{{cite web|last1=Gonzales|first1=Dave|title=Banned Aqua Teen Hunger Force Boston episode leaks online|url=http://www.geek.com/news/banned-aqua-teen-hunger-force-boston-episode-leaks-online-1620022/|publisher=Geek.com|access-date=April 19, 2015|archive-date=April 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419095729/http://www.geek.com/news/banned-aqua-teen-hunger-force-boston-episode-leaks-online-1620022/|url-status=dead}}
On March 13, 2016, the full list of qualifying teams and first round match-ups for the 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament leaked on Twitter in the midst of a television special being broadcast by CBS to officially unveil them. The leak exacerbated criticism of a new, two-hour format for the selection broadcast, which was criticized for revealing the full tournament bracket at a slower pace than in previous years.{{cite news|title=Ratings for CBS's NCAA tournament selection show were almost as bad as show itself|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/03/14/ratings-for-cbss-ncaa-tournament-selection-show-were-almost-as-bad-as-show-itself/|date=March 14, 2016|newspaper=Washington Post}}{{cite news|title=NCAA says it's investigating the bracket leak that saved us from the two-hour Selection Sunday show|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-ncaa-tournament-bracket-leak-20160314-story.html|date=March 14, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times}}
On April 20, 2021, Apple supplier Quanta Computer was hit by a ransomware attack. The attackers began posting documents and schematics of MacBook computer designs as recent as March 2021. The attackers threatened to release everything they had obtained by May 1, 2021, unless a ransom had been paid, however nothing further came out of the breach.{{cite web|date=April 21, 2021|title=Apple targeted in $50 million ransomware attack resulting in unprecedented schematic leaks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/21/22396283/apple-schematics-leak-ransomware-quanta-supplier-leak|work=The Verge}}
On March 6, 2023, the unreleased film Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!, a crossover involving Scooby-Doo and Krypto the Superdog was allegedly canceled,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-27 |title=Scooby-Doo! And Krypto, Too! Animated Film Not Canceled, Trailer Announced |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/scooby-doo-krypto-too-animated-025014050.html |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}} and was leaked online.{{Cite web |last=Lund |first=Anthony |date=2023-03-06 |title=Full Scooby-Doo and DC Crossover Movie Leaks Online After Cancelation |url=https://movieweb.com/full-scooby-doo-and-dc-crossover-movie-leaks-online-after-cancelation/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}} It was alleged to be cancelled as tax write-off for parent company Warner Bros. Discovery's cost savings effort. On July 26, 2023, it was confirmed to not be cancelled,{{Cite web |title=WBHomeEnt/status/1684262384469147681 |url=https://twitter.com/WBHomeEnt/status/1684262384469147681 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}} and a trailer was released on July 27, 2023 with a release date of September 26, 2023.{{Citation |title=Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! - Official Trailer - IGN |date=2023-07-28 |url=https://www.ign.com/videos/scooby-doo-and-krypto-too-official-trailer |access-date=2023-10-09 |language=en}}
On May 6, 2023, a Twitter user leaked the trailer for the Five Nights at Freddy’s film. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse worked to have videos of the trailer taken down.{{Cite web |last=James |first=Adam |date=2023-05-07 |title=Man Begs Universal Not to Sue After Leaking Anticipated Trailer |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2023/05/fnaf-trailer-leaks-leaker-begs-to-avoid-lawsuit-ao1/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Inside the Magic |language=en-US}}
On January 3, 2024, a Twitter user leaked the screenshots of 3 new minions and the plot for Despicable Me 4 weeks before the trailer launched and was claimed that it would appear at Super Bowl LVIII but screenshots were taken down by Universal and Illumination.{{Cite web |title= |url=https://x.com/garfieldmovnews/status/1742656275513499659?s=46&t=evFrDjOz0J56cjwXHKohcA}}{{Cite web |title= |url=https://x.com/garfieldmovnews/status/1742642176105029945?s=46&t=evFrDjOz0J56cjwXHKohcA}} Only two descriptions of the plot leak was confirmed true, while the third was false for Edith, Agnes and Margo were going to be teenagers. The trailer was released on January 28, 2024.
On September 18, 2024, an image of a Nintendo Switch 2 factory unit was posted online onto a Chinese website alongside a few CAD mockups of the console.{{Cite web |last=MisterSheeple |date=2024-09-18 |title=Photos of Switch 2 factory prototypes have leaked on a Chinese website |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1fjp352/photos_of_switch_2_factory_prototypes_have_leaked/?sort=confidence&rdt=47697 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=r/GamingLeaksAndRumours}} When the Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed on January 16, 2025, the factory unit ended up being confirmed as true.
In March of 2025, the United States Department of Justice arrested Steven R. Hale, an employee of a multinational DVD company. Hale allegedly leaked the Blu-rays of the following titles; F9: The Fast Saga, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Godzilla vs. Kong, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dune, and Black Widow.{{cite web | url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/employee-multinational-dvd-company-charged-stealing-selling-pre-release-commercial-dvds | title=Office of Public Affairs | Employee at Multinational DVD Company Charged with Stealing, Selling Pre-Release Commercial DVDS for Blockbuster Films | United States Department of Justice | date=March 6, 2025 }}

References

Category:Internet terminology

Category:Intellectual property law

Category:Internet trolling

Category:Internet leaks