Hackers Attack Morocco’s Social Security Database

A hacker going by the name of “Jabaroot” has breached Morocco’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and leaked the personally identifiable information (PII) of millions of citizens and financial information from thousands of businesses. This cybersecurity attack is considered the largest in the nation’s history.

The kingdom’s social security fund handles healthcare, pensions, unemployment, and insurance benefits for millions of private sector workers. The leaked data includes passport details, emails, banking information, and income records for roughly 1,996,026 Moroccan employees.

The attacker may have also gained access to the documents of over 40,000 companies and 3.9 million employees.

The breached information also contains unverified financial data on political leaders, executives of state-owned companies, associates of the royal family’s holding company and charity fund, as well as the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.

According to the Associated Press, if the leaked financial information is accurate, it would “reflect vast inequalities that continue to plague Morocco despite its strides in economic development.”

Jabaroot leaked the stolen documents on the popular hacking site BreachForums and the personal messaging app Telegram. They claimed the attack came as a response to a recent attack on the X account of the Algerian Press Service (APS) by Moroccan hackers.

This attack comes as tensions between Algeria and Morocco escalate.

According to an investigation by cybersecurity company Resecurity, however, the hacker may have tried to demand a ransom from the Moroccan government in exchange for the stolen information.

In an April 9 press release, the National Commission for the Control and the Protection of Personal Data (CNDP) said it was ready to “receive and handle” complaints from citizens who believe their data might be at risk. The commission also noted that “some leaked documents attributed to this cyber attack were found to be false, inaccurate, or distorted.”

A government spokesperson for Morocco, Mustapha Baitas, said the attack reflected growing international support for the country. He claimed it “disturbs the enemies of our country to the point of attempting to harm it through these hostile actions.”