Published on 6/23/2026
A cyber attack on Tata Electronics, an Indian semiconductor manufacturer that provides services to Apple and Tesla, resulted in the leaking of more than 200,000 files revealing trade secrets of the two giant companies and sensitive documents and plans related to them, according to a Reuters report.
Tata Electronics is one of the most prominent Indian companies specialized in the manufacture of semiconductors (electronic chips) and advanced electronics (EMS) and owns several factories that major companies in the world rely on, which puts the supply chains of these companies in direct danger.
The “World Leaks” cyber group claimed responsibility for the attack, as the group’s website indicates the database related to the leak, which exceeds 630 gigabytes in size and includes files divided into folders based on companies.
Some of the files in the leak bear the name “Apple Factory Data,” in addition to several documents related to the specifications of the materials that Apple uses in its products, as well as emails, event records spanning several years, and copies of employee passports, according to a report by the American technical website “9 to 5 Mac.”
Some of the files that appeared in the leak related to Tesla were classified as a trade secret and date back to 2023. These files contain drawings of a project called “Highland,” which is the well-known symbolic name for the updated Tesla Model 3 car.
Some of these files are also labeled “Confidential” and “Proprietary Information of Apple,” in addition to the presence of the Apple and Tesla logos in many of the documents.
The World Leaks group demanded that the companies affected by the leak pay a ransom so that all the leaked files would not be made available on the Internet, but Tata declined to comment on the ransom demand, according to the Reuters report.
In the same context, Apple has begun an independent investigation to determine the reasons for the leak, and the company is also conducting a full analysis of the situation at the present time.
For his part, Indian cybersecurity researcher Rakesh Krishnan explained that the files had been available on the WorldLeaks website on the dark web since at least June 10, which indicates that the hack occurred a long time ago.
Indian security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia confirms that the total number of files that refer to Apple is approximately 181 files, adding that the “WorldLeaks” website can only be accessed via the dark web.
Troubles ahead for Apple’s operations in India
This leak is the latest setback facing Apple’s operations in India, after the company decided to transfer a large portion of its product assembly and manufacturing operations to Indian factories to escape US sanctions on products manufactured in China.
Tata had previously faced intense scrutiny and investigation over allegations that it polluted agricultural land surrounding one of its iPhone spare parts factories, according to a Reuters report.
The report states that Tata accounts for a third of iPhone manufacturing operations in India, indicating that the company’s expansion into American phone manufacturing is consistent with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to transform India into a global electronics manufacturing power.
Although this leak did not affect the manufacturing operations in any factory affiliated with the company or its external partners, it may undermine their confidence in it and make them look for other solutions.
It is noteworthy that the “World Leaks” group previously launched a massive cyber attack on the “Nike” company, which manufactures sports products.
