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Did Egyptian hackers target Argentina FA database, send fake emails to media? Details emerge of cyberattack
Hackers reportedly breached the AFA Medios database, exposing a system used for media accreditation and official communications.
Argentina have advanced to the semi-finals and now look ahead to what will likely be their toughest opponent of the World Cup so far — the England team.
However, before the quarter-final clash, which Argentina went on to win against Switzerland, the country's football association suffered a cyberattack. Now some reports are claiming that Egypt was behind it, though there is no official confirmation of the same.
Egypt clash followed by cyber breach
La Albiceleste's dramatic comeback victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 had already sparked controversy surrounding refereeing decisions and alleged favoritism toward Argentina. It now appears a suspected cyberattack and attempted breach of the Argentina Football Association's media database originating from Egypt, according to Argentine news outlet La Calle.
According to the outlet, which cited sources in the AFA, a group of suspected Egyptian hackers infiltrated the Argentine Football Association's (AFA) systems following the Round of 16 meeting between the two nations. After gaining access, the attackers allegedly misused the federation's own communication channels.
Fake emails spread through AFA
Argentine outlet Diario Popular reported on Friday that emails were distributed from an official AFA account to journalists, falsely claiming Argentina had reached the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals because of biased refereeing rather than on-field performance.
One of the fraudulent emails reportedly stated: "Argentina did not win. The victory was stolen through corrupt refereeing decisions."
The hackers are also believed to have accessed the AFA Medios database without authorization. The system is used to handle media accreditation and official communications.
According to the reports, the breach exposed sensitive information, including journalists' and football officials' email addresses, IP addresses, and passwords.
It was further reported that an Egyptian hacking group later claimed responsibility for the attack on online forums. But Ht.com could not confirm that independently.
AFA issues official statement
The AFA has confirmed that it is looking into the possibility of unauthorized access while taking steps to reinforce its cybersecurity systems.
In an official statement, the federation said, “We want to inform you that some emails have been sent from one of our institutional accounts, which were not prepared or certified by our staff,” urging journalists to disregard any unusual messages or suspicious links received from its accounts.
Officials have yet to identify those behind the suspected attack, and investigators are still working to determine the full scope of the breach.
