The Iran-linked hacking group "Handala" claims to have breached FBI drones and is threatening the World Cup.
According to a statement, the group claims to have gained access to "all photos and all suspects" taken by the FBI's FPV drones over the past few months. The FBI claims to be using facial recognition and license plate recognition systems as part of its counter-terrorism program.
"It's better to strengthen security at the World Cup; we don't like some of these teams. Remember: FPV drones are everywhere. You never know when one might appear next to your team's bus," the statement said, as quoted by the SITE Intelligence Group monitoring center.
However, SITE notes that the photos and videos published as evidence of the hack do not actually confirm anything. For example, one of the videos posted was created to promote the technology used by the US police department to investigate tornado damage in 2024.
In March, "Handala" claimed to have hacked into FBI Director Kash Patel's email account and published his personal photos and other materials. The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information that could help identify the members of the group.
CBS notes that the FBI uses drones to protect against unauthorized aircraft near stadiums. However, it is prohibited for drones to fly over US stadiums where games are being played, as well as fan zones and events.