FRENCH authorities have detained an 18-year-old man suspected of belonging to ZeroBytes, a hacking group that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on French government services and companies. The Paris public prosecutor’s office disclosed the case on 4 September, following French media reports. The suspect was arrested on 18 August, formally placed under investigation on 20 August, and remanded in pretrial detention.
A second suspect, said to be under 16, was detained on 26 August and released after questioning; investigators have not identified him as a member of ZeroBytes. The case places the individual known online as “ChatNoir” under formal investigation in two cyberattack cases he carried out while a minor, and he was still under judicial supervision when police arrested him in August. He has not yet been convicted.
The article notes the arrest is linked to ZeroBytes’ alleged involvement in cyberattacks against French tax-related sites and other targets, with Le Monde citing the juvenile suspect’s online alias and prior investigations. No further procedural details or specific exploitation vectors are provided in the summary, and authorities have not confirmed a broader operational link beyond the ZeroBytes association and the tax-data theft context.
The case remains under investigation, with the suspect in pretrial detention and a second minor questioned but released; further disclosures are dependent on ongoing judicial proceedings.