Cyber Fattah’s Saudi Games Breach: A New Front in Middle East Cyber Warfare

Pro-Iranian Hacktivist Group Leaks Sensitive Data from Major Sporting Event

In a significant cyber incident that underscores the escalating digital tensions in the Middle East, the pro-Iranian hacktivist collective known as Cyber Fattah has claimed responsibility for a massive data leak targeting the 2024 Saudi Games. The breach, publicly announced on Telegram on June 22, 2025, involved the exfiltration and subsequent release of thousands of personal records, primarily through SQL database dumps. This operation is widely interpreted as a strategic information campaign orchestrated by Iran and its proxies.

Hacktivism in the Middle East: A Cycle of Retaliation

The leaked data, believed to have originated from the official Saudi Games 2024 website, is extensive and highly sensitive. It includes credentials of IT staff, email addresses of government officials, and personal information of athletes and visitors, such as passport details, ID cards, bank statements, medical forms, and other scanned sensitive documents.

This cyberattack highlights the escalating trend of hacktivism in the Middle East, driven by the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel. Cyber Fattah, described as an “Iranian cyber team,” has a history of targeting Israeli and Western digital assets and government agencies, often collaborating with other regional threat actors.

The article also sheds light on the reciprocal nature of these cyber conflicts, mentioning actions by pro-Israel groups like Predatory Sparrow. This group recently claimed to have leaked data from the Iranian Ministry of Communications and disrupted Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, resulting in the destruction of over $90 million in cryptocurrency. Furthermore, the hijacking of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB’s television stream to display pro-Israeli imagery, and attacks by pro-Palestine hacking groups on Israeli organizations, underscore the breadth of this digital battleground.

A key emerging trend in this landscape is the formation of “cyber unions” – alliances among smaller hacktivist groups aimed at amplifying their impact and reach. The news emphasizes that digital operations are increasingly becoming an integral part of geopolitical conflicts, serving to supplement kinetic actions, shape public perception, and disrupt critical infrastructure.