Iranian hackers are suspected of sabotaging fuel tank monitoring systems at gas stations in several U.S. states, CNN reported, citing U.S. officials.
Attackers reportedly compromised an automated tank gauging (ATG) system, which was connected to the internet and had no password protection. although hacker Despite being able to manipulate the numbers displayed on some screens, officials said they were unable to change the actual fuel levels in the tanks.
Cyberattacks could hide major natural gas leaks
Security experts and U.S. officials warn that if hackers gain control of these tracking systems, they could theoretically Hide a real gas leak. This is also undetectable.
“Gas stations, tank readers, water systems and industrial controllers may not sound impressive, but they provide attackers with a way to turn technical vulnerabilities into public disruption and operational stress,” Nick Tausek, principal security automation architect at Swimlane, told Security Magazine.
He added that common weaknesses in many of these attacks are “exposed operational techniques and weak remote access.”
Ross Filipek, chief information security officer at Corsica Technologies, said fuel systems have become attractive cyber targets because they directly impact public confidence and supply chains.
“You don’t need to destroy the entire energy sector to create panic,” Filipek told Security magazine. “If fuel acquisition is slowed, stored readings are manipulated, or operators are forced into manual processes, the impact can quickly shift from a technical inconvenience to a real-world operational risk.”
He warned that if such cyber activity spread across the country, it could cause severe supply chain disruption and economic stress. “Operators should view these systems as critical infrastructure rather than back-office equipment,” Filipek added.
Why is Iran viewed with suspicion?
Investigators said Iran was the prime suspect because of its history of targeting these specific gas tank systems, CNN reported. They also said the U.S. government may never be able to formally prove who did it because the hackers didn’t leave enough digital evidence.
If Iran’s involvement is confirmed, it would be Tehran’s latest attempt to target critical U.S. infrastructure in the current situation. US and Israel’s war on the country. Earlier, a group with ties to Iran Handala allegedly used Telegram channel Compromise Gmail accounts associated with senior U.S. officials.
Cyber incidents could also pose a political challenge to Donald Trump’s administration by turning more attention to high oil prices. Strait of Hormuz blockade.
“This is on the verge of a dynamic cyberattack,” Exabeam chief information security officer Kevin Kirkwood told Security Magazine. He said the incident “had nothing to do with the gas station actually,” but instead showed that cyberattacks are increasingly focused on real-world operating systems rather than just data theft.
“As organizations adopt more artificial intelligence, agents and digital workers to automate decision-making and operations, the risk increases that compromised data or manipulated systems could trigger larger-scale operational disruptions at machine speeds,” Kirkwood said.
Iran’s growing cyber capabilities
Since the United States and Israel War against Iran begins on February 28U.S. officials say hackers linked to Tehran caused a series of disruptions.
Yossi Karadi, director of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, told CNN that Iran’s cyber activities during the war “increased significantly in terms of scale, speed and integration between cyber operations and psychological warfare.”
Experts say Iran’s tactics are evolving rapidly. Allison Wikoff, director of PwC’s threat intelligence team, told CNN that Iran’s cyber operations are “now iterating at an accelerated pace, with more layered hacktivist roles and an expansion of reconnaissance and phishing that may be powered by artificial intelligence.”
She added that they were rapidly creating “good enough” harmful software and launching campaigns to steal and exfiltrate civilian infrastructure and media data.
Gabrielle Hempel, security operations strategist at Exabeam, said modern conflicts are increasingly moving to cyberspace. “A large part of the next war will be fought online,” Hempel said. “You no longer have to use power to ‘blow something up’ to create instability.”
She added that attacks on fuel monitoring systems fall in a “grey area between nuisance and lawful sabotage”.
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