Stolen CD Projekt Red source files reportedly sold on the dark web

What you need to know

• According to the dark web monitoring organization KELA, source files recently stolen from CD Projekt Red have been sold in an auction on the dark web.
• The files reportedly include source code from Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, and Gwent.
• Reports indicate the files were sold for $7 million in one package, although the validity of this data is in question.
• According to several experts, the suspected culprit of the theft was a group named HelloKitty.

The dark web monitoring organization KELA has announced that source files stolen from Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red in a recent cyber attack have been sold in a dark web auction. Reportedly, the files included source code for Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, and Gwent. Reports indicate that the files were sold for $7 million in a single package, although the validity of this data is currently unclear.

At the moment, it isn't clear what the files will be used for or who even bought them. Cybersecurity experts, however, may have sniffed out the culprit of the file theft, with several experts identifying a group named "HelloKitty" as the guilty party. We'll likely learn more as more experts investigate the cyber attack in the coming days and weeks.

Overall, it's troubling to think that crucial developer source files can be stolen and sold for millions of dollars in what feels like the blink of an eye. Hopefully this situation doesn't end up hurting CD Projekt Red's developers too much in the long run. The company has gone through extreme scrutiny recently due to intensely harsh working conditions and suspicions of intentional dishonesty about the quality of Cyberpunk 2077's console versions, so we can't imagine this file theft is helping matters.

Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for $60 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows 10 PCs via Steam as well as CD Projekt Red's own GOG storefront.