MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan civil aviation watchdog website hacked

Colina also mentioned he believed “that the hacking was not only of the Dinacia”

Hackers from Argentina, identified as LaPampaLeaks, BogotaLeaks, and Uruguayo 1337, Monday hit the website of Uruguay’s National Directorate of Civil Aviation and Aeronautical Infrastructure (DINACIA). Using DNS poisoning, they defaced the site, exposing private data of President Yamandú Orsi, such as his phone number and records, as well as those of Agency for Electronic Government and Knowledge Society (Agencia del Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad del Conocimiento - Agesic) Security Director Mauricio Papaleo.

The cybercriminals posted anti-progressive messages, criticizing the 2030 Agenda, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and government corruption, citing frustration with Uruguay's political state. They also boasted of accessing sensitive data like emails and Interpol communications, though authorities denied a deep breach, stating the attack was shallow and no critical systems were compromised. The attack consisted of altering the appearance of Dinacia's portal through DNS poisoning, redirecting users to a fake page. The site was restored after five hours by noon with help from Agesic and the Air Force.

Dinacia Director Leonardo Blengini and Air Force Commander Fernando Colina confirmed the attack affected only the front page, with no evidence of internal system access. The exposed data likely came from prior leaks or public sources.

Cybersecurity expert Fernando Berro suggested a political motive tied to Argentina’s far-right groups under Javier Milei’s government, noting the attack’s timing, two weeks into Orsi's presidency. Berro also reckoned that “complete security is impossible,” despite technological advances.

The Investigation Police and Computer Crimes unit are probing the incident, while Agesic strengthens state system protections. The government insists critical operations remain unaffected, though the attack highlights vulnerabilities in data security.

Colina also mentioned he believed “that the hacking was not only of the Dinacia.”