Tata Electronics on Monday confirmed that it had detected a “cybersecurity incident”, following a Reuters report on the ransomware group World Leaks publishing what it claimed were purported design documents and technical specifications for Apple and Tesla components. Both companies are customers of the manufacturer.
Tata Electronics said that it detected the breach on some of its systems a few weeks ago. The company stated that it immediately activated its response protocols and confirmed that the breach has not affected its operations, which continue normally across all businesses.
“A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected,” the company told Reuters in a statement.
According to security researchers who spoke with Reuters, the group World Leaks posted more than 200,000 files, exceeding 630 gigabytes, on the dark web. The leaked material reportedly includes Apple component designs, quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit boards, internal emails, employee passport copies, and event logs spanning several years. Some files carried Apple proprietary markings and “factorydata” references.
Apple too is actively investigating the incident and conducting a full analysis, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The report suggests that the company received a ransom demand related to the breach, however, they did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
What data was allegedly leaked?
The ransomware group World Leaks claimed responsibility for publishing the data on its dark web website. However, the claims remain unverified.
Cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, who reviewed the files, told Reuters that the data included emails, event logs spanning several years and copies of employee passports, including those of foreign nationals. Another cybersecurity researcher, Rakesh Krishnan, said the files had been accessible on the dark web since at least June 10, reported Reuters.
The leaked database reportedly contains folders and documents that appear to relate to Apple products. Some files carried labels such as “com.apple.factorydata” and documents referring to material specifications. Researchers also found a document that appeared to detail quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit board components.
The files also reportedly contained information linked to Tesla. One folder referred to a charge port controller associated with North America, while another document, marked as a trade secret, appeared to include drawings related to Tesla’s Project Highland, the company’s internal codename for an updated Model 3 sedan, reported Reuters.
Some of the documents carried footers stating that they contained confidential and proprietary information belonging to Apple and Tesla.
Apple’s manufacturing partner
Tata Electronics is one of Apple’s most significant manufacturing partners outside China and plays a major role in India’s efforts to expand electronics manufacturing.
Industry sources told Reuters that Tata currently accounts for roughly one-third of Apple’s iPhone production in India, with Taiwan’s Foxconn producing the remaining devices. Researchers also found files and folders referring to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, where Tata operates a major iPhone assembly facility.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters Tata informed some employees at its iPhone assembly operations about the data breach last week.
Earlier, Tata faced scrutiny over allegations of farmland contamination near one of its iPhone parts plants. In 2025, Tata’s British luxury vehicle unit Jaguar Land Rover also suffered a cyberattack that disrupted production for several weeks.