UAE: Television channels got hacked, featuring content from Gaza to give a message

• Television viewers in the UAE encountered an unexpected disruption as a cyber-attack targeted set-top boxes.
• This was immediately followed by a news bulletin presented by an AI anchor.
• In response to this problem, the set-top box provider issued an apology.

Television viewers in the UAE encountered an unexpected disruption as a cyber-attack targeted set-top boxes. The incident replaced regular content with information about Israeli actions in Palestine. Affected subscribers noted a sudden switch to European live channels displaying a message explaining the hack’s necessity. TV screen presented an AI news anchor showcasing the situation of Palestinian children and women in Israeli prisons.

A Dubai resident utilizing the popular HK1RBOXX streaming device shared his experience, stating, “I was watching BBC News around 10.30 pm when the program was abruptly disrupted, and instead, harrowing visuals from Palestine appeared on my screen. I watched transfixed as my screen froze, and a message from the hacker popped up in all caps against a green background. This was immediately followed by a news bulletin presented by an AI anchor. It was surreal and scary.”

Similarly, a European woman using the streaming device described a strange whirring noise preceding a hacking message on her TV screen during a quiz show. “Before I could grasp what was happening, I found myself watching a bespectacled AI anchor discussing the atrocities, accompanied by a ticker displaying the number of Palestinians killed and wounded so far. The videos were quite graphic, and I had children around. I didn’t want them exposed to it, but we were caught unprepared. Every channel we switched showcases the same content.”

The hacking issue remained unresolved until the time of publication on Monday.

Moreover, the set-top box provider issued an apology. In the apology message, they acknowledged that their systems had been hacked. The message also said that we are investigating the problem.

Obaidullah Kazmi, the Founder and CTO of the Dubai cyber security company, shed light on the situation. He suggest that the streaming servers of the illicit IPTV network had been compromised. “Due to the inherently insecure nature of such unauthorized services which often lack robust security measures, there is a heightened risk to both the service and its user,” Kazmi explained.

He further warned that this vulnerability might extend to consumers’ networks, urging caution for those using such services and highlighting the associated risks of accessing unlicensed content providers.

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