Remote-access malware discovered aboard an Italian-operated ferry in Sète has prompted arrests, an intelligence-led investigation, and fears of state-backed interference.
French authorities are investigating a suspected foreign interference operation after malware capable of remote system control was discovered aboard a passenger ferry docked in the Mediterranean port of Sete, according to a report from Le Monde with AFP.
The malware was found on the Fantastic, a passenger ferry with a capacity of over 2,000 operated by Italian shipping company GNV, part of Swiss-based MSC Group. Italian authorities alerted France that the vessel’s operating system may have been infected with a Remote Access Trojan (RAT), which enables hackers to gain remote control of a system.
Two crew members—a Latvian and a Bulgarian—were detained last week after being flagged by Italian authorities. The Bulgarian was released, but the Latvian was charged and remains under arrest. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into a suspected bid “by an organized group to attack an automated data-processing system, with the aim of serving the interests of a foreign power.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called the incident “a very serious matter” and confirmed investigators are examining potential foreign interference, according to the report. While not explicitly naming Russia, he stated: “These days, one country is very often behind foreign interference.”
The investigation is being led by France’s domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI). After being cordoned off in port, the Fantastic was subjected to an emergency inspection by the DGSI, which led to the seizure of several items. The vessel was subsequently cleared to sail after technical checks ruled out danger to passengers.
Emergency searches were also conducted in Latvia with support from Eurojust, the European Union’s judicial cooperation arm.
The Latvian suspect’s lawyer, Thibault Bailly, has disputed the Russian interference theory, stating that “the investigation will shed light on several aspects of this case that are still unclear. In particular, it will demonstrate that this case is not as worrying as it may have initially seemed.”
