The Washington Post has confirmed that it was among the victims of a major hacking campaign targeting Oracle’s E-Business Suite, a software platform widely used by large corporations to manage HR, payroll, and business operations.
According to Reuters, the Post said it was affected “by the breach of the Oracle E-Business Suite platform.” The scale of the incident extends beyond the media outlet, with multiple large organizations also reporting compromise.
Widespread Exploitation of Oracle Systems
The cyberattack is part of a broader campaign attributed to the Clop ransomware gang, which has exploited vulnerabilities in Oracle’s software since late September 2025.
Security researchers report that Clop gained access to sensitive corporate and employee data across more than 100 companies, including confidential business files, HR records, and internal communications.
Google previously disclosed that the same vulnerabilities had been used to infiltrate Oracle environments globally. Once inside, attackers reportedly sent extortion emails to corporate executives, claiming to have stolen extensive datasets from affected systems.
In one documented case, anti-ransomware firm Halcyon confirmed that Clop demanded a $50 million ransom from a targeted executive.
Clop’s Extortion Tactics and Public Claims
On Thursday, the Clop gang posted on its leak website, claiming responsibility for hacking The Washington Post and alleging that the company “ignored their security.” This phrasing, experts note, typically appears when a victim refuses to negotiate or pay a ransom.
Clop, like many ransomware groups, often publicizes stolen data and victim names as leverage — a tactic designed to pressure organizations into payment or settlement.
So far, The Washington Post has not publicly detailed the extent of the data theft, and Oracle has declined to comment beyond linking to prior security advisories.
Other Confirmed Victims
The Washington Post joins a growing list of confirmed victims that includes Harvard University and Envoy, a subsidiary of American Airlines, both of which reported exposure following Oracle-related intrusions.
The attackers’ ability to exploit multiple vulnerabilities across interconnected enterprise systems has reignited concerns about the supply-chain risks embedded in large-scale software ecosystems.
Cedonix Analysis: Enterprise Software Supply Chain Under Siege
Cedonix cybersecurity experts warn that this campaign underscores the urgent need for stronger vendor risk management and real-time vulnerability monitoring in corporate environments. Large organizations increasingly rely on third-party enterprise platforms to manage critical data, creating new layers of dependency and potential attack vectors.
Enterprises should adopt Zero-Trust architecture, continuous patch management, and threat-intelligence-driven risk assessments to minimize exposure to such coordinated exploits.
This latest incident reinforces that even well-protected institutions are only as secure as the weakest link in their software supply chain.
Source: TechCrunch – “The Washington Post confirms data breach linked to Oracle hacks”
