Tata hack exposes Apple supplier files tied to iPhone 18 Pro
More than 630GB of Tata Electronics data was posted online, revealing Apple component and supplier details, Al Jazeera reported.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Hackers published more than 630 gigabytes of confidential Tata Electronics files, exposing supplier and component information connected to Apple’s unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, Al Jazeera reported. The breach matters because Tata is a growing Apple manufacturing partner in India, where Apple has been shifting more iPhone production.
Al Jazeera reported that the leaked material includes photos and technical information related to the iPhone 18 Pro, which is expected to launch in September. Tata Electronics manufactures electronics for major companies including Apple and Tesla.
Reuters reported that a ransomware group called World Leaks claimed the breach on a dark web site on June 12 and posted more than 200,000 files, according to Al Jazeera. Tata Electronics publicly confirmed a cybersecurity incident, while Apple said it was concerned and investigating the leak.
What was exposed
The files described parts used in the iPhone 18 Pro, including items tied to the main circuit board, battery components and camera modules, Al Jazeera reported. The documents also showed which companies supply certain parts and which suppliers are competing for specific Apple contracts.
Paolo Pescatore, founder and analyst at PP Foresight, told Al Jazeera that the exposure goes beyond product images. He said the release could give competitors, suppliers, counterfeiters and malicious actors insight into Apple’s supplier structure and possible weak points.
Tata Electronics said it had limited internal access after the incident and was reportedly carrying out a forensic investigation, according to Al Jazeera. Pescatore said attackers seeking that volume and type of data would usually need internal access, stolen credentials, weak permissions or the ability to move through company systems without detection.
The group behind the claim
World Leaks uses a model in which victims are pressured to pay or face public release of stolen data, Al Jazeera reported. The group has targeted large companies before, including Dell, from which it stole 1.3 terabytes of data last year, and Nike, from which it claimed to have taken 1.4 terabytes in January.
Al Jazeera reported that the Tata data appears to be mostly corporate material. There is no indication so far that Apple customer payment information or Apple user data was taken.
Apple announced in June that some software updates would reach consumers earlier than planned, citing the pace of artificial intelligence cybersecurity developments, Al Jazeera reported. It remains unclear whether those updates have any connection to the Tata breach.
Why India matters to Apple
India assembled about 55 million iPhones in 2025, or roughly one in four iPhones worldwide, Al Jazeera reported. Four years earlier, India accounted for about 6 percent of iPhone assembly.
Apple began reducing its reliance on China after the COVID-19 pandemic, amid rising U.S.-China trade tensions and pressure to avoid dependence on a single country, according to Al Jazeera. Tata entered iPhone assembly in 2023 and expanded from component manufacturing to full assembly.
Pescatore told Al Jazeera the breach is unlikely to stop Apple’s India push, but it may increase scrutiny of whether newer manufacturing centers can meet Apple’s demands for secrecy, cybersecurity and trust. Cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia told Al Jazeera that manufacturing firms face rising ransomware risks and warned that other hacking groups may try similar attacks.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.