Spain’s Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades has partially shut down its IT systems following what it describes as a “technical incident,” disrupting several online services used by citizens, universities, and research institutions.
The ministry, which oversees science policy, research, innovation, and higher education in Spain, confirmed that its electronic headquarters has been partially closed while the issue is being assessed. As a result, all ongoing administrative procedures have been temporarily suspended. Officials said the move was taken to protect the rights and interests of affected users.
These systems handle highly sensitive and high-value data, including researcher records, student enrollment information, and administrative documentation used by universities and public institutions. To reduce the impact of the disruption, the ministry announced that all deadlines related to affected procedures will be extended in line with Article 32 of Spain’s Law 39/2015.
While the ministry has not officially disclosed the cause, a threat actor has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack. An individual using the alias “GordonFreeman” alleged on underground forums that they breached the ministry’s systems and gained full administrative access by exploiting a critical Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability. The attacker has also offered the allegedly stolen data for sale to the highest bidder.
Data samples shared by the threat actor reportedly include personal records, email addresses, enrollment applications, and screenshots of official documents. Although the leaked material appears genuine, its authenticity has not been independently verified, and the forum where the claims were posted has since gone offline. So far, the data has not resurfaced on other platforms.
Spanish media outlets are now reporting that a ministry spokesperson has confirmed the IT disruption is linked to a cyberattack. The ministry has been contacted for further clarification, but no detailed public statement has been issued at the time of writing.
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