Tata Electronics confirmed it had detected a recent “cybersecurity incident” after ransomware group World Leaks posted more than 200,000 files on the dark web.
The leaked files purportedly include component design and specification papers belonging to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), both customers of the Indian manufacturing group.
“A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems,” the company said, adding that “response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected.”
A source familiar with the matter said Apple was investigating the breach and that “a full analysis was going on,” with Tata having received a ransom demand connected to the incident.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment, and Tata Electronics declined to comment on the ransom demand specifically.
The World Leaks website states the stolen data comprises more than 200,000 files totalling over 630 gigabytes, with several folders bearing Apple and Tesla labels.
Indian cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, who reviewed the files for Reuters, said they contain emails, event logs spanning several years, and passport copies of employees including foreign nationals.
A second security researcher, Rakesh Krishnan, told Reuters the data had been accessible on the dark web since at least June 10 of this year.
One folder in the database was labelled “NV36 Chargeport Controller – North America,” a purported reference to parts used in an upgraded version of Tesla’s Model Y SUV.
A separate purported Tesla document from 2023, marked “TRADE SECRET,” contained drawings related to Project Highland, a publicly known internal codename for Tesla’s revamped Model 3 sedan.
Some files carried footers stating, “This document contains proprietary and confidential information of Apple Inc.” and that information “is deemed confidential, proprietary, and a trade secret of Tesla Inc.”
A 52-page document bearing Apple’s proprietary markings purportedly detailed quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit board components, while 33 files and folders referenced “Hosur,” the location of Tata’s main iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu state.
Tata informed some employees at its iPhone assembly operations last week of the data breach, according to an industry source familiar with the matter.
Tata currently accounts for roughly a third of Apple’s iPhone production in India, making it one of the company’s most critical manufacturing partners outside of China.
The breach represents the latest setback for Tata’s growing technology manufacturing operations, following a cyberattack on its British Jaguar Land Rover group last year that caused a six-week output halt.
World Leaks, which has previously claimed responsibility for a Nike data breach, published the Tata data on its dark net site, though Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the files.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks, particularly as India positions itself as a major electronics manufacturing hub under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s industrial expansion agenda.
