Hackers Attack Hundreds Of High-Profile German Politicians, Post Private Data Online

Hackers have published cellphone numbers, credit card data and private communications belonging to members of nearly every German political party, in a sweeping breach last month that reportedly also affected German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the only main party whose members were spared from the attack, according to RBB Inforadio, a Berlin-based public broadcaster that broke the story.

In the days before Christmas, hackers quietly posted online the data of some of Germany's most powerful leaders "in a kind of Advent calendar," RBB reported.

Some of the stolen information was years old, and it seems the data dump does not include any political bombshells. Instead, it seems intended to embarrass officials — and inflict personal damage by exposing private chats and financial details.

"The hackers published Merkel's fax number, email address and several letters written by and addressed to her," Deutsche Welle reports, citing the DPA news agency.

"With regard to the Chancellery it seems that, judging by the initial review, no sensitive information and data have been published and this includes (from) the chancellor," a government spokeswoman said, as translated by Deutsche Welle.