French National Bank Database Breach Exposes 1.2 Million Accounts
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The French Public Finances Directorate (DGFiP) reports a data breach affecting approximately 1.2 million bank accounts on February 18, 2026.
The incident was caused by a breach in the FICOBA (Fichier National des Comptes Bancaires et Assimilés) database, which catalogs all bank accounts held in French institutions. The Ministry of the Economy confirmed that the breach began in late January 2026 after a malicious actor compromised the credentials of a government official who had legitimate access to the FICOBA system.
The attacker queried the centralized database and viewed sensitive financial records over several weeks. The compromised data includes:
- Bank account numbers (RIB/IBAN)
- Full names of account holders
- Home addresses
- Tax identification numbers (in some cases)
The number of affected individuals is approximately 1,200,000.
DGFiP revoked the compromised credentials and blocked the attacker. The Ministry of the Economy reported the incident to the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) and filed a formal criminal complaint.
Authorities are working with banking institutions to notify affected individuals directly, and the government has launched an investigation into the security protocols governing FICOBA access.
