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In a sport driven by technology and billions, a fundamental digital vulnerability has been exposed. Ethical hackers gained access to the most sensitive private data of F1 drivers. Including world champion Max Verstappen's passport. The question: how could this happen?
"Fairly simple" was enough
The hackers, F1 fans without malicious intent, discovered the vulnerability in the FIA classification portal. That system categorizes drivers. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
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According to their blog post, it was "fairly simple" to escalate access rights to administrator level. From that moment they had access to a treasure trove of confidential documents.
Identity papers. CVs. License data. Even passwords of professional drivers. Everything. The researchers stopped immediately when they realized what they could see.
What was accessible:
● Passports of all drivers
● Personal CVs and work history
● Complete license data
● Password hashes (encrypted passwords)
● Family contact information
● Bank details of some drivers
Verstappen as wake-up call
"We stopped testing after we saw it was possible to access Max Verstappen's passport, CV, license and password hash," they wrote.
That responsible approach is commendable. But the question remains: how many others already had this access? Hackers with bad intentions don't share what they find.
The hackers reported the leak to the FIA in early June. Responsibly. As it should be. But the fact it existed is shocking.
FIA's response
"The FIA was informed of a cyber incident relating to the driver classification website," a spokesperson said. Typical corporate-speak. "Immediate measures were taken to secure driver data."
The website went offline immediately. FIA worked with the hackers to close the leak. Relevant authorities and affected drivers were informed.
But the damage is done. Trust violated. Security questioned.
Privacy isn't guaranteed
In an era when data is gold, this leak shows that even the most prestigious sports organizations are vulnerable. The privacy of their biggest stars? Not always guaranteed.
Verstappen's passport on the street. That's not just a technical problem. It's a security problem. Identity theft. Stalkers. The risks are real.
The question isn't whether the FIA must improve. It's how quickly they can do it. And whether drivers can regain their trust.
Data is gold. But apparently it's not always safe at the FIA.
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