Iran-linked hackers claim FBI drone hack amid World Cup security review

Security concerns have surfaced around the 2026 World Cup after a hacker group identified as Handala, which U.S. authorities link to Iran, asserted it had gained access to drones used by the FBI. The group also disseminated threats concerning the tournament.

SITE Intelligence Group, a firm specializing in monitoring extremist groups and terrorism-related activities, released a statement attributed to Handala. The hackers claimed to have had access for months to "every image and every suspect" recorded by first-person view (FPV) drones employed by the FBI. They alleged these devices possess facial recognition and license plate reading capabilities used in counter-terrorism operations.

However, SITE Intelligence Group has questioned the authenticity of some evidence presented by Handala. Among the disseminated materials were alleged photographs and recordings from compromised drones. The monitoring organization pointed out that at least one video used as proof was not from an FBI operation but was originally produced in December 2024 by a U.S. tech platform to showcase tools for police assessing tornado damage.

U.S. federal authorities are offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of Handala members. Both the FBI and the State Department consider the group to have conducted repeated campaigns against U.S. government representatives. Handala previously gained notoriety in March for claiming to have hacked the personal email of Kash Patel, then director of the FBI.

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every image and every suspect