International hacktivist group launches three-day cyberattack on Hungarian websites, including Daily News Hungary — UPDATED
A hacktivist group targeted Hungarian websites in a cyberattack linked to the OpRevenge campaign. Mysterious Team Bangladesh used DDoS attacks to disrupt government and infrastructure sites, as well as the Daily News Hungary website highlighting the rising threat of politically motivated cyber warfare.
Hacktivist group attacks Hungarian websites
According to CyberThreat Report, the hacktivist group Mysterious Team Bangladesh targeted Hungarian government, infrastructure websites and Daily News Hungary in a cyberattack as part of the OpRevenge campaign, which also named Israel and several EU Member States as targets. Over three days, culminating on 28 February, the group deployed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to disrupt website functionality. It exploited SQL injection vulnerabilities on poorly secured sites without targeting strategic assets. While the attacks did not cause lasting damage, they highlight the growing sophistication of hacktivist groups and Hungary’s increasing presence in international cyber conflicts, underscoring the need for stronger cybersecurity measures against politically motivated threats.
Mysterious Team Bangladesh
The hacktivist group Mysterious Team Bangladesh has been active since 2020, carrying out politically motivated cyberattacks, primarily using DDoS techniques and website vulnerability exploitation. Strongly anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian, the group targets countries it views as Israeli allies, often invoking the fight against Zionism and the protection of Muslim communities. Their latest campaign, OpRevenge, has mainly focused on European nations, including Hungary, Germany, France, and Belgium, as well as Israel. Since 2022, the group has launched over 750 DDoS attacks and numerous website defacements, previously targeting India and Israel before expanding into Europe. Operating via Telegram and encrypted channels, they time their attacks to align with geopolitical events, using cyber operations as a means of political protest.
Despite its name, the hacktivist group Mysterious Team Bangladesh may not be exclusively composed of Bangladeshi members, as such groups often operate internationally under a shared “brand.” While some attacks have originated from Bangladeshi IP addresses and the group communicates in Bengali and English, the use of VPNs and proxies complicates attribution. The group collaborates with other hacktivist organisations, such as North Africa’s Keymous+, and may receive external support, potentially even from state-sponsored entities. Their politically motivated cyber operations, including the recent OpRevenge campaign, specifically target countries viewed as Israeli allies.
Why Hungary?
Hungary’s inclusion appears linked to its pro-Israel stance in recent diplomatic events, including meetings between Hungarian leaders and Israeli officials. Following the group’s 22 February announcement on Telegram, cyberattacks began on 24 February, initially targeting Spain before shifting focus to Hungary on 26 February. These attacks, mainly DDoS-based, disrupted website availability and exposed non-strategic databases, serving more as political statements than strategic threats.
The Hungarian targets:
- defence.hu – Official site of the Ministry of Defence
- cert.hu – A group within the HUN-REN Research Institute for Computer Science and Automation
- bud.hu – Budapest Airport
- ruk.hu – Airport fuel service company
- budsecurity.hu – The security branch of Budapest Airport Ltd.
- dailynewshungary.com
- sandorpalota.hu – Office of the President of the Republic
- alkotmanybirosag.hu – Constitutional Court
- nmhh.hu – National Media and Infocommunications Authority
- ugyeszseg.hu – Prosecutor’s Office of Hungary
- internethotline.hu – Online abuse reporting site
- virpay.hu – Motorway sticker purchase platform
Update: Daily News Hungary CEO reaction
Reacting to the news, Alpár Kató, the CEO of Daily News Hungary is baffled by the attacks. DNH is an independent media site and therefore has no connection with the Hungarian government. The hacktivist group probably attacked the DNH site because it is Hungary’s largest English-language news site, and thus has a large readership. Despite the attacks, the site has not been disrupted as it has adequate protection and an expert IT team.
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