Leakers$ Hack LED Billboards in Egypt, Malaysia and Brazil

The most striking case was in Giza

The most visible incident took place in Giza, Egypt, on a large billboard overlooking the 26th of July corridor, a busy route linking Cairo to its western suburbs. Some drivers stopped to film the screen, which showed sexually explicit content with a caption reading "Leaked by: Ch, 19ylegal never and nivex" and the Telegram handle @LeakersGov.

The same day, several public LED screens in Kluang, in Malaysia's Johor state, showed similar obscene material. In Brazil, a billboard along an avenue in Campo Maior, in Piauí state, also displayed explicit images. The company operating it, Ferreira & Ferreira Publicidade e Comunicação, said it switched off the equipment immediately, filed a complaint and apologised.

A shared system is the leading theory

Three countries and three different companies were hit at the same time. Nothing is confirmed, but the likeliest explanation is that the attackers compromised a single system used by all these operators. That would echo the hacking of supermarket refrigerators in France last month, which also relied on a common platform.

According to the group's Telegram posts, an automated scan lasting two hours revealed thousands of exposed systems. Leakers$ said the operation "was not as complex as many might imagine" and that companies "charge millions to build infrastructure in several countries, but leave LED screens and advertising networks connected to the internet without even basic protection."

The group also described Egypt as "still under dictatorship" and criticised the government over repression and living standards. It says it asks for no ransom or donations and acted to prove that "anyone can take control of screens across the country in real time."

For advertising operators, the episode is a reminder that internet-facing display controllers need at least basic protection such as authentication and restricted access.