Hackers have stolen more than 630 gigabytes of confidential data from Tata Electronics, one of Apple’s key suppliers in India, and released documents exposing details of parts, supplier information and photos of the iPhone 18 Pro, set to launch in September.
The ransomware group World Leaks claimed responsibility for the breach on its dark web leak site on June 12, posting over 200,000 files totaling more than 630 GB, according to Reuters. Tata Electronics confirmed the cybersecurity incident.
The files include detailed information on the iPhone 18 Pro, from chips on its main circuit board to battery parts and camera modules, as well as which supplier provides what part. Also revealed is which suppliers are competing for contracts, potentially exposing Apple’s vulnerabilities.
Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, said the leak exposes sensitive supplier and component information Apple would never willingly make public. “It potentially gives rivals, suppliers, counterfeiters and bad actors a rare glimpse into how Apple’s supply chain is structured and where it may be exposed,” he told Al Jazeera.
Tata Electronics has restricted internal access and is conducting a forensic investigation. Pescatore noted that a breach of this magnitude typically requires a foothold inside the organization, compromised credentials, or weak access controls.
World Leaks follows a “hack-and-leak” model, extorting victims to pay up or risk data exposure. The group previously targeted Dell and Nike. The stolen data is mostly corporate, with no indication of consumer payment details being compromised.
Apple announced in June it is releasing software updates earlier than planned, related to AI cybersecurity developments. It is unclear if this is linked to the breach.
The hack damages the reputations of both Apple and Tata Electronics. Apple has been diversifying its supply chain away from China, with India now assembling about one in four iPhones globally. Tata entered iPhone assembly in 2023 and expanded rapidly.
Pescatore said the incident raises questions about whether new manufacturing hubs can match Apple’s expectations on operational secrecy and cyber-resilience. Cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia warned that such attacks are becoming common and manufacturing sectors are at high risk.
Source: www.aljazeera.com