Cyber Incident Victim: Vodafone Turkey
Date:
Feb 2014
Location:
Turkey
Summary
A hacktivist group breached a telecommunications company's systems and leaked personal details of approximately 5,000 customers, including names, birth dates, phone numbers, and voicemail delivery information. The attackers claimed the intrusion exposed the logging of voicemail communications in Turkey, asserting possession of half a million such records from a specific region over a brief period. They justified the breach as demonstrating systemic vulnerabilities while alleging corporate misconduct regarding internet governance lobbying. The incident formed part of a broader campaign targeting multiple telecom providers and government entities, with leaked data partially redacted to obscure sensitive identifiers. The group emphasized their intent to target entities perceived as committing injustices through these operations.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In early February 2014, the hacktivist group RedHack breached telecommunications providers TTNET, Turkcell, and Vodafone. On February 4, RedHack leaked personal details of approximately 5,000 Vodafone customers through the website JustPaste.It. The compromised data included customer names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and voicemail delivery records. RedHack stated they had redacted phone numbers and deleted last names from the leaked dataset "to protect the public," while maintaining the leak demonstrated Vodafone's practice of logging voicemails in Turkey. The group claimed to possess approximately half a million voicemail log records specifically from Istanbul, covering a two-day period. Through Twitter statements, RedHack criticized Vodafone's lobbying efforts regarding internet governance while alleging security failures. Concurrently, the group leaked information on over 600 Turkish government officials and agency workers.
RedHack framed the breaches as proof that "no system is 100% secure" and warned of targeting entities committing "injustices." The group announced intentions to leak Turkcell data imminently, having already disclosed phone numbers of thousands of Turkcell employees. Turkcell had drawn criticism for altering phone numbers of deputies and ministries previously exposed by RedHack, a response to protests against proposed internet legislation. The Vodafone breach exposed customer data storage practices, particularly the retention of voicemail logs, though no Vodafone containment measures or responses were detailed in available reporting. RedHack's coordinated actions against multiple telecom providers highlighted operational security vulnerabilities while aligning with their broader pattern of targeting organizations over political and regulatory disputes.