The CIA Used ‘Star Wars’ Fan Sites to Secretly Communicate with Spies

The CIA reportedly operated a fan website dedicated to Star Wars as a covert communication channel with its overseas agents, according to a new report by 404 Media citing cybersecurity researcher Ciro Santilli.

The site in question — starwarsweb.net — appeared around 2010 and looked like a typical fan page, complete with forums and banners about the iconic sci-fi franchise. However, Santilli discovered that the website shared IP addresses with previously identified CIA platforms used for agent communications.

According to the researcher, the CIA ran a whole network of similar websites — including portals themed around music, comics, extreme sports, and even religion — all camouflaged as regular online communities. Each site was likely tailored to a specific region, with different access points for agents in places like Iran and Brazil.

The system allegedly worked by having agents input a special command or password into the site's search bar to trigger a secure exchange. While the method was initially seen as safe, a 2018 Yahoo News investigation revealed that the approach was eventually exposed, leading to the deaths of numerous informants. Following those breaches, the CIA reportedly ceased the use of such fake sites in its intelligence operations.