In a coordinated international law enforcement operation known as “Operation Talent,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized the domains of Cracked.io and Nulled.to, two of the most notorious online forums for cybercriminal activities. The seizure, confirmed by seizure banners on the affected websites, marks a significant crackdown on cybercrime networks operating across multiple countries.
Alongside Cracked.io and Nulled.to, law enforcement authorities also seized the domains of StarkRDP.io, MySellix.io, and Sellix.io. These platforms allegedly facilitated illicit transactions, including selling stolen credentials, software cracks, and hacking tools. The operation was carried out in collaboration with agencies from the United States, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Australia, Romania, and Europol.
When users attempted to access the seized sites, they encountered banners stating that international law enforcement agencies had taken over the domains and associated customer and victim data. Further, the domains’ name servers were altered to ns1.fbi.seized.gov and ns2.fbi.seized.gov, rendering the sites inoperable.
Cracked.io’s staff responded to the seizure with a statement on their Telegram channel, confirming that law enforcement had taken control of the domain. They expressed uncertainty about the legal specifics, stating, “Now that everyone has more clarity on the situation, Cracked.io has been seized under Operation Talent with specific reasons being undisclosed. We are still waiting for the official court documentation from the data center and the domain host.”
Earlier in the day, the forum administrators attributed the site’s inaccessibility to a technical issue within their data center. However, it soon became evident that law enforcement agencies had executed a targeted seizure. Users visiting the forums encountered various error messages, including “Error 1000: DNS points to prohibited IP” and “Error 1016: Origin DNS error.”
Cracked.io and Nulled.to have long been regarded as hubs for cybercriminal activities, including password theft, credential stuffing, and distribution of hacking tools such as OpenBullet and SilverBullet. While some discussions on the forums involved ethical hacking, the primary focus remained on facilitating unauthorized access to online accounts and selling stolen data. Additionally, Sellix and MySellix, two platforms that allowed users to set up online stores, were allegedly exploited by cybercriminals to sell stolen data, compromised accounts, and illicit software keys.
Europol acknowledged the operation and stated that further details would be released later. Meanwhile, the FBI has not yet provided an official comment on the seizures or any potential arrests resulting from the operation. However, the sweeping nature of the takedown suggests an intensified effort to dismantle platforms engaged in cybercrime and illicit online marketplaces.
