The individual suspected of administering XSS, a significant Russian-language darknet forum, has been apprehended in Ukraine. This development was announced by the Paris Prosecutor`s Office via their official X (formerly Twitter) account, clarifying that the arrest was the result of a collaborative operation involving Ukrainian and French law enforcement agencies, alongside Europol.
A statement from the agency read: «On Tuesday, July 22, as part of an ongoing investigation initiated by the Paris Prosecutor`s Office, an individual believed to be the administrator of the Russian-language cybercrime forum XSS was taken into custody.»
The investigation reportedly commenced in July 2021, following the interception of communications between cybercriminals. Specific details surrounding the arrest remain undisclosed. It has not been confirmed whether the arrested person is the primary administrator of the platform or one of their associates. However, data on XSS user activity suggests that the forum`s administrator has been inactive since the night of July 22.
In a related context, the proprietor of a Russian bot designed for illicit information extraction previously expressed concerns about moving operations abroad due to the emergence of «black services.» According to him, these operational shifts were influenced by new legislation in Russia that imposes criminal liability for the unauthorized collection, storage, and distribution of personal data.
XSS stands as one of the most enduring platforms within the Russian-speaking darknet, having been established in the early 2000s. Its members engage in discussions and share insights concerning vulnerabilities, techniques for network and application compromise, and various cyberattack methods. Beyond its appeal to cybercriminals, the resource also attracts «white hat hackers» who utilize its information to bolster corporate system defenses against malicious actors.
