Russian Cyberattack on US Court System: What Investigators Revealed About the PACER Breach

TL;DR

• Russian hackers successfully breached the US federal court filing system (CM/ECF), gaining access to sensitive, sealed documents with overseas ties.
• The attack, described as a multi-year cyberespionage effort, targeted at least eight district courts, prompting judges to relocate sensitive cases.
• Outdated technology and delayed modernization efforts in US government IT systems are exacerbating vulnerabilities, raising concerns about national security.

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Russian Hackers Breach US Federal Court System: A Multi-Year Cyberespionage Campaign

The Attack: How and When It Happened

In early August 2025, reports emerged of a successful cyberattack on the US federal court filing system, known as Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF). This decades-old system, used by courts nationwide to file and maintain legal documents, was compromised as early as July 2025—though investigators suspect the breach may have begun even earlier.

The attack targeted the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, a public portal that allows users to access court documents for a fee. However, CM/ECF also hosts highly sensitive, sealed documents—information that is not available to the public and is considered a prime target for nation-state actors and cybercriminals.

Investigators have since attributed the breach to Russian hackers, describing it as part of a multi-year effort to infiltrate the system and extract classified information ¹.

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What Were the Hackers After?

While many court documents are accessible via PACER or free platforms like CourtListener, the sealed documents stored in CM/ECF are far more valuable. These files often contain confidential legal proceedings, classified evidence, and sensitive information tied to international cases.

According to The New York Times, the attack specifically targeted documents with overseas connections, suggesting a focus on geopolitical intelligence or legal strategies involving foreign entities ². At least eight district courts were affected, with chief judges instructed to relocate sensitive cases away from the compromised system. One judge in the Eastern District of New York issued an order prohibiting the upload of sealed documents to CM/ECF ³.

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Why Court Systems Are a High-Value Target

Cybersecurity experts have long warned that judicial systems are a top target for malicious actors. Michael Y. Scudder Jr., Chair of the Committee on IT of the Judicial Conference on Courts, testified before Congress in June 2025, stating:

“Experience has shown that the Judiciary is a high-value target for malicious actors and cybercriminals seeking to misappropriate confidential information and disrupt the judicial process in the United States.” ⁴

Scudder revealed that in 2024 alone, the judiciary’s security team blocked over 200 million harmful events from infiltrating court networks—a stark reminder of the growing sophistication of cyber threats.

This isn’t the first time CM/ECF has been compromised. In 2021, the system suffered a major breach involving three hostile foreign actors, further highlighting its vulnerabilities ⁵.

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Outdated Technology: A Persistent Weakness

The US government’s reliance on outdated IT systems has become a critical vulnerability. The CM/ECF system, introduced in the mid-1990s, is long overdue for modernization. While plans to replace it have been discussed since 2022, progress has been slow ⁶.

A 2025 update from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that of the 10 most critical legacy systems identified in a 2019 audit, only three have been modernized. Some systems, operated by the Department of Defense and Treasury, still run on technology older than the moon landing ⁷.

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The Broader Implications: National Security at Risk

The breach raises serious concerns about national security and the integrity of the US judicial system. Sensitive legal documents, if exposed, could:

• Compromise ongoing investigations
• Reveal classified intelligence
• Undermine public trust in the judiciary

With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated, the need for modernized, secure IT infrastructure has never been more urgent.

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Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Cybersecurity

The Russian hack of the US court system serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by nation-state cyberattacks. As hackers refine their tactics, outdated technology and delayed modernization create dangerous vulnerabilities.

For the US government, this breach underscores the need for immediate action—upgrading legacy systems, enhancing cybersecurity protocols, and ensuring that sensitive legal documents remain protected.

For individuals and organizations, it’s a call to prioritize cybersecurity, whether through robust encryption, threat monitoring, or proactive defense strategies.

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Additional Resources

For further insights, check:

• Politico: Federal Court Filing System PACER Hacked
• The New York Times: Russia’s Multi-Year Hack of US Courts
• US Courts: Judiciary Addresses Cybersecurity Breach

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References

1. Politico (2025, August 6). “Federal court filing system PACER hacked, officials say”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

2. The New York Times (2025, August 12). “Russia Hacked Federal Court System in Multi-Year Effort”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

3. Eastern District of New York (2025). “Administrative Order 2025-10”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

4. Michael Y. Scudder Jr. (2025, June). “Testimony to Congress on Judicial Cybersecurity”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

5. Politico (2022, July 28). “Justice Department reveals data breach in federal court system”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

6. US Courts (2022, October 19). “AO Director Updates Congress on Progress in Case Management Technology Modernization”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎

7. US Government Accountability Office (2025). “Update on Federal IT Modernization”. Retrieved 2025-08-13. ↩︎