Elmo's X account was hacked, leading to the posting of antisemitic and racist messages. The account, which has over 600,000 followers, was quickly secured and the offensive posts were removed. The incident highlights the risks associated with cyber attacks on high-profile social media accounts and the potential for significant reputational damage.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elmo-x-account-hack-antisemitic-posts-sesame-street/
TPRM report: https://scoringcyber.rankiteo.com/company/sesame-workshop
"id": "ses820071525",
"linkid": "sesame-workshop",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "7/2025",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Media and Entertainment',
'name': 'Sesame Workshop',
'type': 'Nonprofit Organization'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unknown',
'date_detected': '2023-10-15',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-10-16',
'date_resolved': '2023-10-15',
'description': "Elmo's X account was briefly compromised by an unknown hacker "
'who posted antisemitic and racist messages. The account has '
'since been secured and the posts removed.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative',
'systems_affected': ["Elmo's X account"]},
'motivation': 'Unknown, possibly to spread hate speech',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2023-10-16', 'source': 'Sesame Workshop'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public statement'],
'containment_measures': ['Secured the account'],
'remediation_measures': ['Removed the posts']},
'threat_actor': 'Unknown hacker',
'title': "Elmo's X Account Hacked and Posted Antisemitic and Racist Content",
'type': 'Account Compromise'}