Cyber Incident Victim: Costa Rica Ministry of the Environment
Date:
Dec 2015
Location:
Costa Rica
Summary
Egyptian hackers affiliated with the Anonymous Rabaa Team defaced the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment's website, replacing content related to conservation areas and Cocos Island with a video depicting the Rabaa Square Massacre and a written statement. The attackers, identifying themselves with aliases including Dr.AFN[D]ENA and Freedom Cry, displayed links to their social media but did not breach databases or exfiltrate data. While some participants had prior ties to ISIS-linked cyber groups, no pro-ISIS messaging accompanied this incident, potentially influenced by Costa Rica's diplomatic stance on Palestine. The defacement appeared opportunistic, exploiting a vulnerability to promote awareness of their political cause without further system compromise.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On December 24, 2015, hackers affiliated with the Anonymous Rabaa Team executed a website defacement attack against Costa Rica’s Ministry of the Environment. The attackers targeted two specific pages detailing the System of Conservation Areas and Isla del Coco (Cocos Island), which served as inspiration for Isla Nublar in the Jurassic Park film franchise. The defacement involved replacing the original content with a video documenting the 2013 Rabaa Square Massacre in Cairo, Egypt, where Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of protesters. Below the video, the hackers embedded a written statement and listed the aliases of ten individuals involved: Dr.AFN[D]ENA, Freedom Cry, Mr.Moshkela, Dr.Mezo0, Almagek Kabo, X-Pr0 Altrsana, Alarg53, Dr.No0oS, Blood Injcetor_ps, and HectorMan. A hyperlink to the Anonymous Rabaa Square Facebook page accompanied the statement, directing visitors to additional materials about the Rabaa Square incident. The attack did not involve a database breach or data exfiltration, limiting its technical scope to superficial website alterations. No immediate disruptions to environmental operations or broader governmental functions were reported. The defacement remained publicly visible for an unspecified duration, serving primarily as a platform to disseminate the group’s political message.
The operation reflected the hackers’ opportunistic tactics, exploiting vulnerabilities in a non-critical government website to amplify awareness of the Rabaa Square events. Historical context linked some participants, notably Dr.AFN[D]ENA, to prior Cyber Caliphate operations—a collective associated with ISIS that targeted Israeli and Western entities. However, no explicit pro-ISIS rhetoric accompanied this defacement, potentially influenced by Costa Rica’s diplomatic support for Palestine during its conflicts with Israel. The attackers’ statement avoided direct threats or demands, focusing instead on commemorating the 2013 Cairo massacre. Costa Rican authorities did not publicly disclose technical details about the vulnerability exploited, remediation steps, or coordination with international cybersecurity entities. The incident underscored the persistent risk of low-complexity defacements against government digital assets for ideological messaging, though it caused no lasting operational or reputational damage to the Ministry’s core functions.