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A joint advisory issued on October 30, 2024, by the FBI, U.S. Treasury, and Israel National Cyber Directorate described two strands of activity attributed to Iranian cyber group Emennet Pasargad: an operation aimed at Paris 2024 Olympic displays and an effort to identify and access internet-connected cameras. The advisory also outlines wider influence operations and recommends several steps for organizations reviewing potential exposure. Its account is historical; it does not establish that the reported operations are continuing in 2026.
Who the agencies identified
The advisory says Emennet Pasargad operated under the company name Aria Sepehr Ayandehsazan (ASA), which it describes as nominal cover for human-resources and financial-related purposes. It says the FBI obtained reliable information about use of the ASA name in mid-2024. The advisory also notes that private-sector reporting has used the names Cotton Sandstorm, Marnanbridge, and Haywire Kitten for the group. These labels should not be read as proof that ASA and Emennet Pasargad are identical legal entities.
The agencies characterize the activity as part of a broader set of cyber-enabled information operations, not simply an attack on Olympic displays. Their advisory describes cover personas, hosting infrastructure, open-source research, and the use of online AI services. Those details are the agencies’ account of the activity.
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What happened around the Paris 2024 Olympics
Compromised display provider in France
The advisory says that in July 2024, actors used VPS-Agent infrastructure to compromise a French commercial dynamic display provider. The stated aim was to show photo montages denouncing the participation of Israeli athletes in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Deceptive article and threats
The advisory also describes a fake news article and threatening messages directed at athletes and their entourage. The messages were sent under the false identity of a French far-right group, according to the agencies. This was an influence effort alongside the display activity, rather than evidence that the Olympic organization’s systems themselves were compromised.
What the camera activity involved
Separately, the advisory says ASA sought to enumerate IP cameras and obtain their content. It describes scanning for devices running the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) on TCP port 554. The targets were primarily in Israel, with scans also reported in Gaza and Iran.
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The advisory distinguishes scanning from subsequent access and distribution: it reports that images and content from Israeli cameras were made available to clients through servers beginning in October 2023. It does not give a count of cameras, affected users, or the scale of access, so no incident total can be inferred from the described protocol, locations, or server activity.
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| Reported activity | Target and geography | Timing in the advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Influence operation involving dynamic displays | French commercial display provider in France | July 2024 |
| Camera enumeration, content access, and client availability | IP cameras primarily in Israel; also Gaza and Iran | Camera content from Israeli devices reportedly made available through servers beginning October 2023 |
The advisory presents these as separate activities with different targets and timelines. It does not establish that the camera activity was conducted as part of the Olympic display operation.
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What organizations should do
The agencies recommend reviewing successful authentications associated with VPN services, considering whether previously compromised information could be reused against the organization, and keeping applications and host operating systems updated. These are targeted recommendations from the advisory, not a complete security program or a guarantee against this actor’s activity.
- Review VPN-related successful logins for activity that warrants investigation.
- Consider whether exposed or previously compromised organizational information could enable malicious access or impersonation.
- Keep applications and host operating systems updated.
The advisory’s authoring agencies—the FBI, U.S. Treasury, and Israel National Cyber Directorate—state: “The authoring agencies recommend all organizations follow guidance provided in the Mitigations section to defend against the Iranian cyber group’s activities.” Organizations that suspect they were targeted or compromised are advised to contact their local FBI field office.
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