India investigates Tata Electronics breach exposing Apple iPhone 18 Pro secrets

India investigates Tata Electronics breach exposing Apple iPhone 18 Pro secrets
A person holds an Apple iPhone at the company's first retail store in Bengaluru, India, 2 September, 2025
Reuters

India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.

Government launches investigation

India's IT Secretary S. Krishnan confirmed on Thursday that authorities had launched an investigation after the breach was reported to the country's Computer Emergency Response Team.

"We are investigating," Krishnan told reporters.

Reuters previously reported that a ransomware group had posted stolen Tata Electronics files on the dark web, including internal component lists, supplier information and images of iPhone 18 Pro prototypes.

The leaked material reportedly includes at least six files detailing which companies are producing specific components for Apple's next flagship devices - information the company typically keeps confidential.

Wider impact on tech industry

The breach also exposed documents linked to Tesla, Qualcomm and TSMC, highlighting broader supply chain vulnerabilities.

Tata has hired an international consultancy to conduct a forensic audit into the incident.

The leak poses a potential threat to Apple's tightly controlled product development and supply chain operations, which rely on strict confidentiality across its global manufacturing network.

Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September.

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