A dark web actor using the alias Shad0w has listed what they claim to be stolen datasets from South Africa’s 2024 General Election on a dark web forum.
According to the actor, the dataset includes highly sensitive political and governmental records:
- Candidate details – full names, addresses, personal phone numbers, and field positions in government.
- GERT records – names and addresses.
- Profiling of all ministries – containing names, addresses, and phone numbers.
- Office of the HOD (Communications Unit) data.
- Databases containing usernames and hashed passwords.
The actor is allegedly offering the data for sale, sharing contact details via Telegram for pricing and sample access.
If verified, the exposure of such election-related and governmental data raises significant risks:
- Political risk: Threat actors could exploit candidate and government official details for targeted disinformation campaigns or extortion.
- Credential compromise: Even though passwords are hashed, the data could be cracked and used for unauthorized access into government systems.
- Operational disruption: Communications Unit data may allow adversaries to impersonate government channels.
- Election security: Undermines the integrity and trust in South Africa’s democratic processes.
Disclaimer: This report is based on alleged threat actor claims. CyHawk Africa does not verify or confirm the authenticity of such claims and bears no intent to defame. Content is for awareness and defensive purposes only.