Arion Kurtaj, the 18-year-old hacker behind the infamous Grand Theft Auto 6 leak has been sentenced to indefinite custody at a secure hospital. Deemed unfit to stand trial due to his acute autism, Kurtaj will remain in hospital until he ceases to be a threat. A member of the international hacking group Lapsus$, Kurtaj faced 12 charges including fraud and blackmail, with companies targeted by the group citing damages amounting to nearly $10 million.
Kurtaj managed to infiltrate Rockstar Games’ company Slack channel, subsequently downloading and sharing over 90 in-development video clips. These clips confirmed the forthcoming game would be set in a fictionalized Miami and feature a female protagonist, Lucia. Despite the leak, within two weeks of its debut, the GTA 6 trailer had amassed over 155 million views.
Another Lapsus$ member, aged 17, has also been sentenced to 18 months under a youth rehabilitation order for his involvement in the hack, as well as stalking and harassment. In response to the group’s actions, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has published a detailed report on Lapsus$ activities. Currently, only two of the group’s members have been caught.
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