A pro-Iran hacking group has claimed it has breached the FBI’s drone program that’s getting used to defend the FIFA World Cup.
Handala claimed it has gained entry to the system and was watching the footage the bureau is taking because it displays video games from above.
The hackers additionally issued a chilling risk, saying “we don’t like these groups in any respect” because the blockbuster match kicked off on American soil on Friday.
It comes after the group claimed it had infiltrated a number of California cities’ water techniques in one other assault on the US.
An announcement circulated by the SITE Intelligence Group, which displays state-linked on-line exercise, mentioned on Friday: “Higher tighten your World Cup safety, we don’t like a few of these groups in any respect.
“Don’t overlook: FPVs [first-person view] are in every single place; you by no means know when one would possibly find yourself proper in your group’s bus.”
Handala claimed it had entry “for months” to FBI drone techniques, giving it visibility into “each picture and each suspect” captured by the company’s drones.
The group mentioned FBI Director Kash Patel was added to its checklist of “efficiently hacked victims” and claimed it introduced FBI techniques “to their knees,” regardless of descriptions of these techniques as “impenetrable.”
Handala additional asserted that Washington can not “silence the voice of resistance” by “bribes and threats.”
The hackers’ claims haven’t been independently verified, and a few cybersecurity specialists have questioned the authenticity of proof beforehand launched by the group.
Late final week the group claimed it infiltrated water techniques serving a number of California cities, although officers solid doubt on whether or not any essential infrastructure was truly compromised.
It alleged it breached techniques tied to Bakersfield, Visalia and Chico, posting screenshots that appeared to indicate residents’ water payments.
The hackers mentioned the cyberattack was retaliation after US forces struck reservoirs in Iran. California Water Service mentioned it discovered no proof that its techniques had been compromised.
The California Put up has reached out to the FBI for touch upon the brand new hacking claims.
The current threats by Handala are considered by analysts as much less about sports activities rivalry and extra about exploiting one of many world’s largest media levels.
In March 2026, the U.S. authorities seized domains allegedly utilized by Handala and introduced a $10 million reward for data resulting in the identification of the group’s members.
Handala rapidly retaliated by leaking what it claimed have been historic emails belonging to FBI Director Patel.
Intelligence analysts view the most recent World Cup risk as the most recent chapter in an escalating confrontation between the hacking group and US authorities somewhat than a random act of cybervandalism.
Whereas Handala’s warning that it doesn’t “like a few of these groups in any respect” didn’t establish particular international locations, analysts say the group’s political alignment affords clues about its possible targets.
Handala is broadly described by cybersecurity corporations and intelligence analysts as a pro-Iranian, anti-Israel hacking group. Its current statements have framed its operations as retaliation in opposition to the US over FBI actions and broader tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Based mostly on that positioning, potential targets may embody the US and different Western nations aligned with Washington.
Israel has traditionally been one in every of Handala’s main adversaries, though the nation didn’t qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Analysts observe that groups from main U.S.-allied nations, together with England, Germany and France, have incessantly been focused by Iranian-linked cyber affect campaigns.
Handala’s warning arrives amid heightened considerations about Iranian cyber exercise, with the Justice Division beforehand warning that tensions stemming from U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran may immediate cyberattacks in opposition to American targets.
