Celebrity Data Leak Shock as Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and George Lucas Reportedly Have Contact Details Exposed

Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and George Lucas are reportedly among a number of Oscar-winning Hollywood figures whose private contact details were exposed in an alleged celebrity data leak linked to the Tribeca Film Festival.

According to cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, a publicly accessible database containing phone numbers, email addresses and device-related information was discovered online shortly before this year's festival began.

Although the database was reportedly secured after organisers were notified, the incident has raised fresh concerns about celebrity cybersecurity and how seemingly routine personal information could be exploited by cybercriminals.

Tribeca Film Festival Database Reportedly Exposed

The alleged celebrity data leak came to light after Fowler, an ethical security researcher with Black Hills Information Security, said he discovered an unsecured database labelled 'contacts' in the days leading up to the Tribeca Film Festival, which opened on 3 June.

According to reports, the records included the contact details of several high-profile actors and filmmakers.

Alongside Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and George Lucas, those reportedly listed included Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Rami Malek, Sharon Stone and director Danny Boyle.

Speaking to The Sun, Fowler described the discovery as 'by far the biggest collection of celebrity data I've ever seen.'

He said the records contained names, phone numbers and email addresses that could potentially have been used by malicious actors.

Fowler said he promptly contacted organisers of the Tribeca Film Festival to report the issue.

The database was subsequently removed from public access.

In a blog post detailing the discovery, Fowler explained that he did not download any of the information.

Instead, he said he reviewed only a limited number of records to verify the exposure before responsibly reporting it.

Device Information Heightened Cybersecurity Concerns

Beyond basic contact information, Fowler said the exposed records also contained technical details about users' devices.

According to the researcher, some records identified the versions of Apple's iPhone operating system being used, along with Safari browser versions and other software information linked to email accounts.

He warned that this type of information could provide cybercriminals with additional intelligence when planning phishing attacks, malware campaigns or other forms of online fraud.

Knowing what devices and software an individual uses can make fraudulent emails and security alerts appear more convincing, increasing the likelihood that a target may inadvertently reveal sensitive information.

Fowler stressed that his objective was to notify the relevant parties rather than access or retain the exposed data.

In his blog, he wrote that his goal was to raise awareness about the importance of protecting potentially sensitive information and ensuring appropriate security measures were in place.

Celebrity Cybersecurity Remains in Focus

Following Fowler's notification, the Tribeca Film Festival reportedly responded by stating that it 'takes matters of data security very seriously' and is actively investigating the issue.

The festival was co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2002 as part of efforts to support the cultural revival of Lower Manhattan after the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Today, it hosts more than 600 screenings each year and attracts approximately 150,000 attendees.

The reported data exposure also serves as another reminder that celebrities remain frequent targets for cybercrime.

2020 Hack of Twitter

In 2021, Graham Ivan Clark pleaded guilty over the high-profile 2020 hack of Twitter, now known as X, which compromised accounts belonging to public figures including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Elon Musk and former US President Barack Obama.

The hacked accounts were used in a Bitcoin scam that urged followers to send cryptocurrency under the false promise that the funds would support Covid-19 relief efforts.

While there is no indication that the information exposed in the reported Tribeca incident was misused, the case has renewed attention on the importance of safeguarding personal data, particularly for high-profile individuals whose identities make them attractive targets for sophisticated cyberattacks.