Sensitive internal documents detailing hundreds of components, specific suppliers and prototype test images for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro have been published on the dark web by the ransomware group World Leaks, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter. The files, stolen from Indian contract manufacturer Tata Electronics, include at least six documents that map chips on the main circuit board, battery parts and camera modules to the companies that supply them—information Apple does not disclose publicly. The exposure directly threatens the secrecy around Apple’s tightly managed global supply chain and arrives weeks before the expected September launch of the new models.

The breach occurred when attackers penetrated Tata Electronics’ systems and exfiltrated more than 200,000 files, which also contained design papers for older iPhones and parts for Tesla, another Tata client, as well as documents from TSMC and Qualcomm. Several of the leaked files carry Apple “confidential” watermarks and internal code names consistent with the iPhone 18 Pro generation. Photographs dated early 2026 show grey slab-shaped handsets with a three-rear-camera setup undergoing drop tests at a Tata plant. Reuters has not independently verified the authenticity of all data, and World Leaks could not be reached for comment.

Viewed from New Delhi, the incident complicates India’s rapid ascent in Apple’s manufacturing diversification strategy. Tata Electronics has emerged as one of Apple’s most important partners outside China, assembling iPhones and supplying components as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to make the country an electronics manufacturing hub. India is on track to produce 26 per cent of the world’s iPhones in 2026, up from 6 per cent four years ago, according to Counterpoint Research. The leak, however, exposes the vulnerabilities of this expanding supply chain and could strain the trust between Apple and Tata, while also offering competitors, counterfeiters and other vendors a rare map of Apple’s supplier relationships.

Apple is investigating the breach and working with Tata on long-term security measures, while Tata has restricted internal access to sensitive systems and hired a global consultancy to conduct a forensic audit. The leak comes at a delicate moment: Apple recently raised iPad and MacBook prices due to rising memory and storage chip costs, and analysts in several markets expect iPhone price increases in the coming months. Separately, technology-focused outlets in East Asia have reported that the A20 Pro chip destined for the iPhone 18 Pro may adopt a new WMCM packaging that places DRAM beside the processor die for improved thermal performance, and that CT scans suggest a smaller dynamic island and a large vapour chamber in the Pro models. These design details remain unconfirmed by Apple.

The next factual milestone will be the completion of the forensic audit by Tata’s external consultant, which is expected to clarify the scope of the data loss and inform any contractual or security adjustments between the two companies ahead of the iPhone 18 Pro production ramp-up.