Earlier today, hackers at AntiSec claimed that they had got their hands on a database containing around 12 million UDID numbers from iPads and iPhones from an FBI employee-owned computer, a breach my colleague Sarah Perez described the significance behind and possible ramifications of in a post earlier today. Now, however, the FBI issued a statement to AllThingsD that refutes the claim.
“The FBI is aware of published reports alleging that an FBI laptop was compromised and private data regarding Apple UDIDs was exposed,” reads the statement. “At this time there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data.”
The FBI has also tweeted that the report is “TOTALLY FALSE” [emphasis in the original], yet AntiSec did in fact release 1 million of its reported 12 million stolen IDs earlier, and tools have cropped up that let you check if you’re affected. Long story short, the FBI statement (which doesn’t actually say anything about the real source of the information, only that evidence isn’t there to suggest it was stolen in the manner described) really raises more questions than anything else. We’ll keep you posted as this develops.