Former Disney employee accused of hacking menu system and changing peanut allergy information

A former Disney World employee is accused of hacking into the software used by the theme park's restaurants and changing allergen information, removing warnings for people with peanut allergies.

Michael Scheuer, who was fired in June, is accused of using his personal computer to hack the menu system and target the computer accounts of 14 Disney employees – even visiting the home of one of the victims, according to an FBI special agent affidavit have Timothy Callinan.

The authorities assume that no customers were injured.

Disney became aware in July of problems with the menu software it was using, Menu Creator, which is owned by a third party, and determined that the problems were due to unauthorized computer tampering.

They suspected that Scheuer, who was fired for what the company described as misconduct, was responsible for the hack. Scheuer had worked as a menu production manager and his termination was “not amicable,” court papers say. The company provided the FBI with information about Scheuer, who had detailed knowledge of the Menu Creator software.

The affidavit alleges that over a three-month period, Scheuer changed the information on several menu items owned and operated by Disney. In some cases, he changed the price of items and changed menu fonts to symbols instead of letters. He also allegedly changed the QR codes on some menus to direct users to an anti-Israel website, the affidavit said.

Scheuer allegedly made several changes that put public health at risk, investigators say. He added information to some menu items to label them as safe for people with peanut allergies, even though the items could be fatal to people with peanut allergies.

According to the affidavit, it is believed that the menus were identified with the changed QR codes and allergen information and were not sent to the restaurants.

When Disney discovered the hack, the company reset passwords to prevent further intrusions.

The FBI executed a search warrant at Scheuer's home on Sept. 23, seizing his computers and finding evidence linking him to the hacking attacks, the affidavit said.

Scheuer denied wrongdoing and claimed Disney was trying to frame him.

The FBI also allegedly found a “Dox” folder on one of his computers that contained addresses, emails, login information, family information and other personal information for 14 Disney employees, some of whom were involved in his termination. Investigators said he continually tried to log into their company accounts, thereby locking them out – a so-called denial-of-service attack.

According to the FBI, after his computers were confiscated, Scheuer visited the home of one of the attacked employees and was captured on video by the homeowner's Ring surveillance camera.

In a statement to CBS News, Scheuer's attorney David Haas said that “the criminal allegations confirm that no one was injured or harmed by the menu changes.”

Haas said Scheuer has a disability that impacted his employment at Disney and claimed a medical event led to his suspension.

“Disney then did not respond to his inquiries about why he was suspended, and then his suspension was inexplicably converted to termination,” Haas said in the statement. “Disney refused to provide an answer as to the reasons for his firing and made no accommodations on his behalf. He then filed an EEOC complaint. I look forward to vigorously presenting my client’s perspective.”