Hackers executed a targeted attack on Beirut’s international airport during the weekend, manipulating critical flight information display screens.
Hackers targeted Beirut’s international airport over the weekend, manipulating flight information display screens and briefly affecting baggage inspection, as reported by local media. The altered screens accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group of dragging Lebanon into a conflict with Israel, stating, “Hezbollah, you bear your responsibility and its consequences.”
اختراق الشاشات في مطار رفيق الحريري الدولي في مدينة بيروت وبث بيان يهاجم حزب الله. pic.twitter.com/5cANoFE8eY
— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) January 7, 2024
Airport authorities informed local media that the attack briefly disrupted the passenger baggage inspection system but did not impact the flight schedule. Lebanese media reported that hackers also sent fake messages to some passengers on behalf of Middle East Airlines, a claim the company denied.
Recent tensions between Lebanon and Israel, marked by frequent exchanges of fire, led to an Israeli strike on Lebanon that reportedly killed a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite forces. Israeli officials expressed a preference for restoring security without war but emphasized readiness for conflict if necessary.
Attributed to two domestic hacker groups, The One Who Spoke and Soldiers of God, the airport hack has raised questions about the technological capabilities of local hackers for such an operation. Soldiers of God, a Christian group known for anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns in Lebanon, denied involvement.
Reports suggest that external parties may have executed the attack, using Lebanese hacker group names to obscure their tracks or instigate tension. An anonymous security source implicated Israel as a potential culprit. Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ali Hamieh, reported that around 70% of the hacked airport screens have resumed normal operations. To mitigate damage, the airport disconnected from the internet.
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