Bruni website cost €400,000
Hacker’s analysis finds flaws in First Lady’s website and attacks cost to taxpayer
THE €400,000 website of former First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is a Wordpress blog in need of updates and security patches.
Hacker and journalist Olivier Laurelli (@bluetouff) decided to investigate the site of the Fondation Carla Bruni-Sarkozy after the spending watchdog Cours des comptes revealed its cost to the taxpayer.
“At this price, one naturally expects a veritable marvel of irreproachable quality, sumptuous design and maintained by a horde of Chinese hackers at all times… Basically, something pretty bling and lively,” he said in a blog post later republished on the site Rue89.
What he found was that the site was based on Wordpress, a system used for bloggers, many for free, with security holes that included one which allowed people to upload any photo they wanted on to the main site.
According to the Nouvel Observateur, whose figures were largely confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office, the site was overseen by two people for a total of €25,000 a month, with a further €36,000 a month going to a team of eight to provide its content.
“I’m trying to contain myself, but voila I’ve got to say it – the tax payer has been swindled,” he said.
