Pager explosions in Lebanon: A rare and deadly cyber assault

The BBC reported on a series of coordinated pager explosions that took place on September 17th in Lebanon, noting that physical attacks on electronic equipment are extremely rare. Citing experts, the station suggested that small explosive charges were most likely placed inside the devices.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that at least eight people were killed and over 3,000 were injured due to the pager explosions, with about 200 in critical condition. Among the victims were members of Hezbollah, who blame Israel for the attack and vow retaliation. Israeli authorities declined to comment.

An expert, who wished to remain anonymous and previously served in the British army, told the BBC that the devices probably contained 0.35-0.7 ounces of military-grade explosives that were remotely activated.

Shortly after the attack, reports suggested that the explosions "given the nature of the explosion and the type of pager involved, it is plausible that a small Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) was embedded within each device." However, questions remain about at what stage the pagers could have been tampered with: during production, transport, or storage.

"A breach of this magnitude is not only physically harmful, but will also make them question their entire security apparatus. I would expect to see them conduct an intensive internal investigation that will distract them from a potential fight with Israel," explained former CIA analyst Emily Harding to the BBC.

A pager is a small, wireless electronic device used to communicate with short text messages displayed on a screen.

Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at the University of London, wrote on social media that "Hezbollah’s main challenge is that Israel’s precision targeting shows how Israel has thoroughly penetrated the group's communications. Unless and until that penetration ends, Israel will have the upper hand."

The BBC commented that cyberattacks are becoming increasingly significant in modern conflicts, although they typically involve software. Attacks targeting hardware are very rare and require considerable resources and access to the devices, for example, in factories.

Since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been regularly shelling northern Israel, which has been met with retaliatory strikes. The situation on the Israel-Hezbollah line is increasingly tense, and media speculates that authorities in Jerusalem may decide to launch a ground operation in southern Lebanon.