Magyar Nemzet Obtains Exclusive Information on the Gigantic Tisza Data Scandal

Magyar Nemzet has gained access to exclusive information regarding the massive data leak that occurred through the Tisza Party’s mobile application called Tisza Vilag.We obtained an internal chat from a closed Tisza group in which one of the party’s senior IT experts explained to colleagues how the data leak happened. In doing so, he exposed one of Peter Magyar’s lies.

Tisza Vilag app (Photo: Krisztian Mate)

Then, on October 31, four links appeared on the international website LeakBase.la, all leading to a  gigantic dataset. The list, containing two hundred thousand names, was labeled as data from the Tisza Vilag app. A day later, on November 1, a Hungarian tech forum, Prohardver.hu, published a post titled "200,000 Users of Tisza Vilag Have Leaked on LeakBase Forum." The post analyzed the list in detail. The same day, a Reddit post appeared on the topic, with several comments confirming the data had indeed come from Tisza. However, both the Prohardver and Reddit posts disappeared soon after publication.

Then, on Sunday evening, Peter Magyar commented on the issue, claiming that international hackers , backed by Russian intelligence, were responsible for the breach.

Truth Comes to Light

Now let's turn to what the Tisza IT specialists and other members discussed in their private Signal group that Sunday evening. The key part of the discussion began when group members saw media reports, including a detailed article by Magyar Nemzet, about the data leak affecting two hundred thousand names. At that point, a certain Bendeguz Rosta, one of the Tisza Party’s senior IT experts, shared insider information with the group. We located  Rosta's profile on the professional networking site LinkedIn, confirming that he indeed works in software development. From the chat obtained by our newspaper, it is also evident that Rosta was extremely well-informed, with apparent insider knowledge.

Bendeguz Rosta at the Tisza Party Congress in July (first from the left)

Peter Magyar Lied

Responding to media reports, Rosta confirmed that the story was true. He told the group that the database had leaked from Tisza Vilag on October 5, exposing all user data from the app’s two hundred thousand accounts.

Screenshot of the message exchanges in the Tisza Signal group

None of the group members had been aware of this, and they asked Rosta whether the incident was due to an internal leak or an external attack. The IT expert replied that an investigation was underway. That means that by Sunday evening, Tisza’s IT team still had no clear knowledge of the cause. Yet at that very same time, Peter Magyar was publicly claiming on Facebook that the leak resulted from a Russian hacker attack.

Screenshot of the message exchanges in the Tisza Signal group

Something Is Very Wrong with the Tisza Party Leader’s Explanation

The conversation we reviewed contains another highly revealing moment. One Tisza group member warned others to be careful — not to let it become known that the personal data had leaked from the app on October 5. If that were confirmed, the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (NAIH) could fine the party for failing to report the incident in time. It would be equally embarrassing for Peter Magyar if it turned out that the party had failed to notice such a massive leak for an entire month. That possibility is especially awkward given that Magyar has spent the past few days telling the press that his IT team has been "heroically" fending off Russian cyberattacks for months. If true, the situation would paint Tisza’s technical experts as highly unprofessional — unable to detect for nearly a month that their users’ personal data had leaked.

Screenshot of the message exchanges in the Tisza Signal group

Tisza's Team Tried to Erase Everything

Returning to the closed Signal group: on Sunday, Rosta also described in detail how the party’s IT staff tried to remove all traces of the data leak. He said that a Tisza Sziget (Island) group member had both Reddit posts deleted immediately, while he personally had the Prohardver forum entry removed through a personal contact within roughly an hour and a half. (We should add that this was still not fast enough, as Magyar Nemzet staff read the post before its deletion, and its key findings are included in our reporting on the data leak. Rosta also informed the group that the leaked database had been taken down from the four foreign sites. However, he warned that once data appears online, it can never be fully erased, meaning the list could still be accessible elsewhere at any time.

Screenshot of the message exchanges in the Tisza Signal group

Outrage Among Tisza Members

Despite the IT expert’s account, group members expressed disappointment and dismay over yet another leak. One user remarked that the scandal casts a dark shadow over the Tisza Party, while another said that even if they continue heir outreach campaign, people will now be reluctant to share personal data with the party. Several criticized the Tisza app itself, calling it "weak" and "embarrassing."