How did the teenager hack into Bandai Channel?

He identified a vulnerability in the system by analyzing the company's data traffic, then used the ChatGPT AI chatbot to create a malicious program that canceled user accounts. When Bandai Namco Filmworks blocked his access, he changed his IP address about 30 times to continue making unauthorized cancellations.

When did this attack happen?

The attack occurred on November 4, 2025, between 5 p.m. and 8:46 p.m., resulting in the cancellation of 46,812 accounts and causing the company to briefly suspend the service.

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15-year-old hacks Bandai streaming service, cancels 46,800 accounts

Japan Times Tech5h ago5 min read

Key takeaway

A 15-year-old Japanese student was arrested for hacking Bandai Channel, a streaming service, and canceling roughly 46,800 user accounts by exploiting a system flaw. The attack forced the company to shut down the service and revealed that up to 1,366,000 items of personal information, including email addresses, may have been breached. The student used ChatGPT to write malicious code and changed his IP address multiple times to evade the company's initial security blocks.

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3 Key Points

What happened
A 15-year-old high school student in Saitama was arrested for exploiting a system vulnerability in Bandai Channel to cancel approximately 46,800 accounts on November 4, 2025. He identified the vulnerability by analyzing the company's data traffic and used ChatGPT to create a malicious program; after Bandai Namco Filmworks blocked his initial access, he changed his IP address about 30 times to continue the attacks.
Why it matters
The incident forced Bandai Namco Filmworks to temporarily suspend the streaming service and exposed up to 1,366,000 items of personal information, including email addresses. For streaming platforms and their users, the breach underscores the risk that system vulnerabilities can enable unauthorized access at scale, and that even young attackers with basic coding knowledge can cause significant operational disruption.
What to watch
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a full suspension of the service in November due to concerns about unauthorized access following this incident. The teenager was also arrested last month for unauthorized computer access in violation of the unauthorized computer access prohibition law.

FAQ

How did the teenager hack into Bandai Channel?: He identified a vulnerability in the system by analyzing the company's data traffic, then used the ChatGPT AI chatbot to create a malicious program that canceled user accounts. When Bandai Namco Filmworks blocked his access, he changed his IP address about 30 times to continue making unauthorized cancellations.
What personal information was exposed in the breach?: Up to 1,366,000 items of personal information, including email addresses, may have been breached.
When did this attack happen?: The attack occurred on November 4, 2025, between 5 p.m. and 8:46 p.m., resulting in the cancellation of 46,812 accounts and causing the company to briefly suspend the service.

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