Dubai International Airport: Americans’ passports purportedly stolen in hacktivist attack against Dubai airport

Iran-Linked Hacktivist Group Exposes Dubai International Airport Data

A suspected Iran-affiliated hacktivist collective, Nasir Security (also known as Nasir Resistance), has begun leaking data allegedly stolen from Dubai International Airport following a months-long breach. The exposed trove includes passport photos of American, Arab, and Emirati travelers despite initial claims by the group that it would not release UAE citizen data as well as luggage content images and airport security scanner photos.

While the leaked data does not appear to contain sensitive operational or intelligence information, cybersecurity researchers at Cybernews warn of potential risks, including identity theft and fraud, due to the compromised personal records.

The breach occurs amid escalating cyber warfare in the region, following U.S.-Israel joint missile strikes against Iran in late February. Iranian state-backed threat actors, such as Seedworm, have since targeted multiple organizations, including a U.S. bank and an airport, signaling a broader campaign of retaliatory cyber operations.

Source: https://www.scworld.com/brief/americans-passports-purportedly-stolen-in-hacktivist-attack-against-dubai-airport

Dubai Airports cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/dubaiairports

"id": "DUB1775176261",
"linkid": "dubaiairports",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "4/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'American, Arab, and Emirati '
                                              'travelers',
                        'industry': 'Transportation/Aviation',
                        'location': 'Dubai, UAE',
                        'name': 'Dubai International Airport',
                        'type': 'Airport'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
                 'file_types_exposed': ['Images'],
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (personally identifiable '
                                        'information)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Passport photos',
                                              'Luggage content images',
                                              'Airport security scanner '
                                              'photos']},
 'description': 'A suspected Iran-affiliated hacktivist collective, Nasir '
                'Security (also known as Nasir Resistance), has begun leaking '
                'data allegedly stolen from Dubai International Airport '
                'following a months-long breach. The exposed trove includes '
                'passport photos of American, Arab, and Emirati travelers, '
                'luggage content images, and airport security scanner photos. '
                'The breach does not appear to contain sensitive operational '
                'or intelligence information but poses risks of identity theft '
                'and fraud.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational damage due to '
                                       'data exposure',
            'data_compromised': 'Passport photos, luggage content images, '
                                'airport security scanner photos',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High'},
 'motivation': 'Retaliatory cyber operations amid escalating cyber warfare in '
               'the region',
 'references': [{'source': 'Cybernews'}],
 'threat_actor': 'Nasir Security (Nasir Resistance)',
 'title': 'Iran-Linked Hacktivist Group Exposes Dubai International Airport '
          'Data',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}