An Iran-linked hacking group, Handala, claims to have breached FBI surveillance drones and accessed sensitive footage. The group also issued threats against teams participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though some of their evidence has been disputed by researchers.
The alleged breach of FBI drones and threats against the World Cup highlight the evolving tactics of state-sponsored hacking groups and the potential for cyberattacks to disrupt major international events and critical infrastructure.
An Iran-linked hacking group known as Handala has claimed to have breached FBI surveillance drones and accessed sensitive footage, while also issuing threats against teams participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The group, which has previously claimed responsibility for hacking FBI Director Kash Patel's email and a breach at California Water Service, stated it obtained access to "every image and every suspect" captured by the drones, including facial recognition and license plate scanning technology dating back months.
SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist organizations, reported Handala's claims. The group allegedly said, "Better tighten your World Cup security, we don't like some of those teams at all. [First-person view drones] are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team's bus."
The U.S. Department of Justice links Handala to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, associating it with data theft, wiper malware, and online influence campaigns. These claims emerge amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and warnings from law enforcement about scammers targeting World Cup fans.
However, the claims have not been independently verified. SITE disputed some of Handala's evidence, noting that a video presented as proof of a breach was actually a promotional video from December 2024 for technology used by a U.S. police department. The State Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information on foreign government-directed hackers targeting U.S. critical infrastructure.