X Targeted by "Massive Cyberattack," Claims Elon Musk

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, experienced widespread outages Monday, prompting Musk to claim the site was the target of a "massive cyberattack." The disruption left tens of thousands of users unable to access their accounts, raising concerns about the platform's security and stability.

The outages began early Monday morning, with complaints spiking around 10:00 and 14:00 GMT, according to Downdetector.com, a website that tracks online service disruptions. More than 40,000 users reported issues, with problems affecting both the X app and website. Users reported being unable to log in and experiencing difficulties loading images.

Musk addressed the situation on X, stating, "There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X." He added, "We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing…" He did not provide specific evidence to support his claims about the scale or origin of the attack in his initial post.

Later Monday, in an interview with Fox Business Network, Musk stated that IP addresses involved in the cyberattack originated "in the Ukraine area." He did not elaborate further, but the statement drew immediate scrutiny and sparked debate among cybersecurity experts.

Cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont disputed Musk's claim that the attack originated solely from Ukraine, stating on Bluesky that the attack involved IP addresses from around the world. Beaumont identified the attack as a Mirai variant botnet, composed of compromised cameras. He speculated that the attack "smells of APTs – advanced persistent teenagers," suggesting it may not have been the work of a state-sponsored actor.

Other cybersecurity experts echoed the sentiment that attributing the attack to Ukraine based solely on IP addresses could be misleading. They pointed out that IP addresses can be easily spoofed or routed through different locations, making it difficult to determine the true origin of an attack.

The timing of the alleged cyberattack coincides with increased scrutiny of Musk's leadership and policy changes at X, as well as growing tensions between Musk and the Ukrainian government. Musk's recent cost-cutting measures at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), his quasi-governmental agency, have also drawn criticism.

Some experts suggest the nature of the attack points away from state-sponsored actors. Reese, a cybersecurity expert, noted that the attack was designed to be discovered, unlike more sophisticated attacks aimed at quietly extracting valuable data. He suggested the attack may have been carried out by a group seeking to make a statement by disrupting the platform.

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges social media platforms face in protecting themselves against cyberattacks. X, in particular, has faced criticism regarding its security measures since Musk's acquisition of the company in 2022 and subsequent layoffs of a significant portion of its staff.

As of Monday evening, X appeared to have mitigated the worst effects of the attack, with the number of user-reported issues significantly decreasing. However, the incident raises questions about the long-term security and reliability of the platform, as well as the potential for future disruptions. The investigation into the attack is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge in the coming days.