Hackers believed to be tied to Iran targeted computerized fuel monitoring systems used at gas stations across the U.S., according to a CNN report cited by Newsweek.
Federal officials told CNN the suspected cyberattacks involved automatic tank gauge systems, known as ATGs, which are used to monitor underground fuel tanks, track fuel levels and detect leaks at gas stations.
Investigators found some of the systems were connected to the internet without password protection, allowing hackers to gain access and manipulate digital displays in certain cases.
Officials said there is no evidence the intruders altered actual fuel supplies or disrupted gas distribution. However, authorities warned that falsified readings could potentially hide fuel leaks or create other infrastructure safety risks.
American investigators suspect the activity was carried out by hackers linked to Iran, though officials have not publicly tied the attacks to a specific Iranian government agency.
The reported breaches add to growing concerns inside Washington over Iran’s cyber capabilities and repeated efforts to target critical infrastructure.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice charged seven Iranian hackers allegedly connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over cyberattacks targeting dozens of American banks between 2011 and 2013.
Federal prosecutors also accused the same group of infiltrating the control system of the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, marking one of the earliest known Iranian-linked cyber intrusions into U.S. infrastructure systems.
Cybersecurity firm Dragos warned in 2019 that Iranian hacking groups were increasingly focusing on operational technology systems tied to pipelines, utilities, oil facilities and manufacturing operations.
The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation have repeatedly warned that Iranian hackers routinely scan the internet searching for poorly protected industrial control systems.
Cybersecurity company Mandiant reported in 2022 that Iranian state-linked groups were increasingly using ransomware, credential theft and destructive malware against US infrastructure operators.
In late 2023, the United States Department of the Treasury warned that hackers tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard targeted water utilities and other infrastructure systems using internet-connected devices produced by Unitronics.
Federal agencies said many of those attacks relied on weak passwords and outdated cybersecurity protections.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has repeatedly cautioned that many fuel, water and utility systems across the country remain vulnerable because operators continue relying on aging software and legacy industrial equipment, per the Conservative Brief.
Iranian-linked cyberattacks have also targeted energy infrastructure overseas. Western officials and cybersecurity researchers blamed Iranian actors for the 2012 Shamoon cyberattack against Saudi Aramco, which wiped data from roughly 30,000 company computers.
Saudi officials later described the Shamoon attack as one of the most destructive cyberattacks ever carried out against the global energy industry.
Iran has denied involvement in many cyberattacks attributed to it by Western governments and cybersecurity firms.
The reported fuel-system breaches come as tensions continue escalating between Iran, Israel and the U.S., with American officials warning Tehran could increasingly turn to cyber warfare in response to military or economic pressure.
