The FBI is investigating the hackers who posted nude photos of celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton, to the Internet this weekend.
In a statement shared with The Hill, an FBI representative said the agency is “aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter.”
“Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time,” they added.
The representative did not provide more details about how they were looking into the hack, which caused a stir online.
Apple is also actively investigating the incident to see whether its iCloud storage service had been breached, multiple outlets reported.
The nude photos of Lawrence, an Oscar-winning actress, as well as other actresses, including Kirsten Dunst, were posted to several websites over the weekend.
The photos were allegedly stolen from people’s iCloud accounts, though some actresses quickly condemned them as fakes.
Many security experts speculated that the hacker used a program called iBrute to gain access to the accounts. The program tries to break into people’s accounts by brute force, guessing password after password until it gets it right.
Lawrence’s publicist called the hack a “flagrant violation of privacy,” The Associated Press reported on Monday evening. The “Hunger Games” star contacted authorities about the incident and pledged to prosecute anyone who posts the photos, the outlet added.
— This story was updated at 9:42 a.m.