Russian Spies Hack Hotel Wi-Fi Worldwide, Using AI to Steal Traveler Data, Microsoft Warns

Russian Spies Hack Hotel Wi-Fi Worldwide, Using AI to Steal Traveler Data, Microsoft Warns

By Kyiv Post
Publication Date: 2026-08-05 21:15:00

Russian state-sponsored hackers have been hijacking public Wi-Fi networks at hotels and conference centers worldwide, using artificial intelligence (AI) to power much of the operation.

Microsoft Threat Intelligence reported the campaign, named CaptiveCrunch, on July 31, attributing it to a group tracked as Storm-2945. The company said the campaign has been operating since early May, with the goal of stealing login credentials from corporate and government business travelers.

The group is reportedly an operational sub-cluster of Midnight Blizzard – a threat actor the US and UK governments have linked to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

“Midnight Blizzard is consistent and persistent in their operational targeting, and their objectives rarely change,” Microsoft reported, adding that “their focus is to collect intelligence through longstanding and dedicated espionage in support of…