Moroccan hackers leak 34GB of Algerian Ministry data in yet another retaliatory move
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Cyberattacks between Algeria and Morocco have turned into a digital game of ping-pong, with each side trading blows and neither gaining ground. Just days after the Algerian hacker group JabaRoot DZ claimed responsibility for breaches targeting Morocco's national social security fund CNSS and Ministry of Employment, a new cyberattack attributed to Moroccan hackers was announced on April 12, allegedly leaking 34 GB of sensitive data from Algeria's Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry.
The Moroccan-affiliated group MORH4x claimed responsibility for the breach on the specialized forum BreachForums. According to initial reports, the leaked files span from 2019 to 2025 and include:
A deliberate cyber retaliation
The message accompanying the data dump made the motive clear: the attack is a direct response to the April 8 cyberattack targeting Moroccan institutions. It is part of a growing structured digital escalation between the two countries, driven by politically motivated and symbolically powerful digital offensives.
MORH4x claims the aim is not only retaliation but also an attempt to shed light on the opaque workings of Algeria's medical supply chain—identifying companies that benefit from it and exposing networks distributing psychotropic drugs across the country.
A cyberwarfare in three acts
This latest operation marks the third major incident in a series of back-and-forth cyberattacks in recent weeks. Before the breach of Algeria's Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry, another Moroccan group reportedly infiltrated the systems of the General Mutual of Posts and Telecommunications of Algeria (MGPTT), in response to the initial attack on CNSS.
These digital tit-for-tat attacks seem to have moved beyond individual acts of hacking to become part of a broader ideological campaign, unfolding against a backdrop of longstanding geopolitical tensions between Algiers and Rabat.
While the full authenticity of the leaked data is yet to be independently verified, samples released online strongly suggest a significant breach. Nonetheless, observers are raising concerns about the ethical and human toll of this cyber escalation. Behind these battles between hacker groups lies the personal data of millions of Moroccan and Algerian citizens—now potentially exposed, and in some cases, irreversibly so.
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