Cyber Threat Radar – A recent FIA data breach has exposed the personal information of several professional racing drivers. The breach was the result of a critical flaw in the FIA’s driver categorisation portal. It allowed unauthorised users to elevate their access and view confidential data belonging to drivers including Max Verstappen.
According to reports from X user galnagli, three individuals found that they could create a driver profile and then issue a command to promote themselves to admin level. The system did not verify their access rights. Once granted admin privileges, they were able to view superlicences, CVs, passport scans and other sensitive contact data for every registered driver.
The individuals behind the discovery claim they did not download or store any of the sensitive data they accessed. They reported the issue directly to the FIA and collaborated with officials to fix the flaw quickly. Their actions have now revealed how one overlooked vulnerability can expose a global sporting body to significant privacy and reputational risks.
The vulnerability exploited in the FIA data breach is known as mass assignment. This occurs when a server automatically trusts data inputs without checking permissions. It is a well-known and preventable issue that underscores the importance of secure-by-design approaches in web development.
In a public statement, the FIA confirmed it had taken immediate steps to secure the platform. It notified impacted drivers and data protection authorities and stated that no other digital systems were affected. The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to cybersecurity, citing investments in security architecture across its digital estate.
Why the FIA Data Breach Matters Beyond Motorsport
This FIA data breach may appear isolated but the implications go further. The affected system stored highly personal information. These are not just names and email addresses. This is documentation that could be misused for fraud, impersonation or other criminal activity if it had fallen into the wrong hands.
That the portal granted admin access so easily raises concerns about other platforms handling similar sensitive information. Organisations in every sector are under increasing pressure to secure not only files and databases but also every action that can be performed within a web application. A single permission oversight can unlock an entire system.
The Role of AI-Powered Malware in Data Exfiltration
While the FIA data breach was caused by a flaw in the application’s access controls, it is important to understand the broader threat landscape. Cybercriminals today do not always rely on stolen credentials or phishing. They now deploy AI-powered malware capable of capturing every screen the user sees.
This malware silently takes screenshots, uses optical character recognition to convert visual data into text, and then transforms it into structured data using JSON formatting. Even if data is never saved in a document, if it appears on screen it can be stolen. For platforms like the FIA’s, where sensitive records are displayed in dashboards or web forms, this presents a significant risk.
Preventing Screen-Level Attacks with SentryBay
SentryBay’s Armored Client protects against exactly this kind of emerging threat. It neutralises screen capture malware by blacking out sensitive on-screen content at the system level. This ensures there is no visual data for AI tools to extract and exfiltrate. The solution also randomizes keystrokes before they reach the operating system, effectively disabling keyloggers.
“With AI-based malware on the rise, defending endpoints is more than blocking file access,” said Paul Gilbert, cybersecurity executive at SentryBay. “What’s on screen is now just as vulnerable. The Armored Client addresses this head on.”
The FIA data breach shows how even well-funded organisations can be exposed by overlooked technical flaws. As threats evolve, so must the tools designed to counter them.
