A hacker group with alleged ties to Iran says it breached FBI drone systems and is now threatening the World Cup, according to a Friday report from a monitoring organization.
SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity online, released a statement attributed to Handala claiming the group had access for “months” to “every image and every suspect” recorded by FBI first-person view, or FPV, drones.
According to the statement, those drones were equipped with facial recognition technology and license plate scanning tools used in counterterrorism operations.
In the message cited by SITE, Handala warned World Cup organizers to strengthen security, saying, “Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus.”
The FBI is using drones around World Cup stadiums as part of efforts to guard against unauthorized aircraft in surrounding airspace.
Authorities have also imposed flight restrictions, banning drones over U.S. stadiums hosting tournament matches and over fan zones tied to the event.
The Justice Department has previously warned of the potential for cyberattacks by Iranian actors following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February that triggered the Middle East War.
Handala published photos and footage that it said were taken from the hacked drones, but SITE disputed that claim.
One video of the supposed hack was in fact produced by a software platform in December 2024 to promote a U.S. police department’s use of its technology for surveying tornado damage, SITE said.
Handala claimed in March to have hacked the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published personal photos and other material online.
The State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the group.
