Israeli sources claim an Iran-linked cyberattack leaked sensitive data of gun owners, though the origins and implications remain under investigation.
Israeli media and authorities have alleged that a hack-and-leak operation linked to Iran has exposed sensitive data belonging to thousands of Israeli gun owners, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Sunday.
The leaked information, which reportedly includes records as recent as 2025, has raised concerns over potential security risks, though the origins and full scope of the breach remain unconfirmed.
Israeli sources claim that the hackers, identified as Iranian, carried out the operation in early February. Tens of thousands of documents, allegedly sourced from Israeli police and National Security Ministry databases, were leaked online.
Haaretz, in collaboration with the US-based cybersecurity firm databreach.com, stated that the data included sensitive information such as the identities, addresses, and firearm details of thousands of Israeli gun owners.
“The exposure of Israeli gun owners is as severe as the Justice Ministry data breach,” Haaretz quoted researchers at databreach.com as saying.
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The leak has reportedly sparked fears about the vulnerability of gun owners to criminal or hostile actors seeking weapons, according to the newspaper. However, the high prevalence of firearms in Israeli society complicates assessments of the actual threat posed by the breach.
The leaked documents allegedly contain personal data on armed security personnel, details of weapons storage facilities in public institutions, and other sensitive information related to the location of arms and munitions.
Israeli police have denied that the leak originated from their systems, asserting that a “thorough examination” found no evidence of external access to their information systems. “There was no indication of a breach or data leak from police systems,” a police statement said.
Despite these denials, Haaretz reported that over 100,000 documents appear to be linked to the Police Security and Licensing Division, the National Security Ministry’s Firearm Licensing Department, or private security firms collaborating with these entities.
The Firearm Licensing Department is currently under investigation by the police anti-corruption unit following earlier allegations of unauthorized gun permit distribution, according to the report.
Employees from the office of former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the licensing division have reportedly been questioned as part of the ongoing probe.
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The leaked files, which allegedly include records from the past two years, are said to feature personal details of gun owners such as full names, home addresses, photographs, military and medical backgrounds, firearm types, ammunition counts, and storage locations, Haaretz reported.
Additionally, the leak reportedly contains police ID cards of uniformed officers, security personnel evaluations, training records, and internal documents from private security firms.
Israeli sources claim that the hackers had announced their access to this data as early as December, even publishing screenshots of some documents.
Despite this alleged warning, Haaretz reported finding hundreds of documents from 2025, some dated just three weeks prior to the report, suggesting that the hackers may have retained access to the data even after the breach was publicly disclosed.
(Israeli Media)
