Cyber Incident Victim: Red Bull Malaysia
Date:
May 2015
Location:
Malaysia
Summary
The official Malaysian website of Red Bull was defaced by pro-Palestinian hacking group AnonGhost, which replaced the site's content with a message mocking the company's slogan and declaring solidarity with Palestine. The attackers left a taunting note referencing "wings" alongside greetings from their team, mirroring a previous incident where multiple global domains of the same brand were compromised by another hacker. This breach occurred amid a series of cyberattacks by Palestinian-aligned groups targeting international entities.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On May 3, 2015, pro-Palestinian hacking group AnonGhost defaced the official Malaysian website of Red Bull (redbull.com.my), replacing its content with a political message. The attackers mocked Red Bull’s "Gives You Wings" slogan by displaying the text: "Hey Red Bull , Do u have Wings now ? Just To Say Hi From Palestine . Hacked By AnonGhost Team , Muslim Hackers." Evidence of the defacement was publicly documented through Zone-H.org mirror ID 24162949, confirming the website’s compromise. AnonGhost, known for its involvement in Operation Israel—where the group hacked Israeli credit cards and donated funds to pro-Palestinian charities—targeted Red Bull Malaysia as part of a broader campaign against high-profile global entities. The attack disrupted the website’s normal operations, leaving the defacement active at the time of reporting. No technical details about the exploitation method were disclosed, though the article noted AnonGhost’s established hacking capabilities. This incident marked Red Bull’s second major public breach, following a November 2013 attack where Algerian hacker Over-X defaced nine Red Bull domains worldwide using an identical taunt.
The defacement occurred amid heightened activity by pro-Palestinian cyber actors, with another hacker using the alias HolaKo compromising Indian news portal Rediff just one day prior. AnonGhost’s targeting of Red Bull Malaysia appeared opportunistic rather than strategically linked to the company’s operations, focusing on brand visibility to amplify their message. The article did not describe any remediation efforts by Red Bull, containment measures, or restoration timelines. Historical context indicated Red Bull’s domains remained vulnerable to defacements over multiple years, with the 2013 and 2015 incidents both leveraging the company’s international prominence for symbolic impact. Consequences were limited to temporary service disruption and reputational exposure, with no evidence of data theft, financial theft, or secondary attacks. The incident underscored AnonGhost’s pattern of combining hacktivism with publicity-driven targets while aligning with broader geopolitical tensions.