A hacktivist collective known as “Predatory Sparrow” (or “Gonjeshke Darande” in Persian) declared on Monday that it had perhaps subverted most gas stations in the Iran gas stations cyberattack.
The anomaly in the gas stations was attributed to a “software problem”. It cautioned against rushing to the remaining stations. This report delves into the intricacies of the cyber onslaught, shedding light on its geopolitical context, previous cyber incidents, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in Iran.
Iran Gas Stations Cyberattack Explained
Iranian state-run media stated that about 70% of the country’s gas stations were forced to close on Monday due to possible sabotage, reported Reuters.
More than thirty percent of petrol stations are still in service, according to an Oil Ministry statement that State TV published. In the country, there are roughly 33,000 petrol stations, reported First Post.
Apart from the Iran gas stations cyberattack, the country’s businesses, railway system, and gas filling stations have all been the target of many cyberattacks in recent years. There have also been hacks into surveillance cameras at government institutions, including prisons.
We, Gonjeshke Darande, carried out another cyberattack today, taking out a majority of the gas pumps throughout Iran. This cyberattack comes in response to the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region. [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, playing with fire has a price,” wrote the group in a statement after the Iran gas stations cyberattack, reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Similar Incidents from the Past
The Iran gas station cyberattack is not the only one of this kind. A significant steel company in the southwest of the nation was compromised by the Gonjeshke Darande gang in 2022. In 2021, a cyberattack on Iran’s fuel delivery infrastructure rendered gas stations inoperable, resulting in lengthy line-ups of irritated drivers. The gasoline pump assault was attributed to the hacking group.
After the Stuxnet computer virus, which is thought to have been created jointly by the United States and Israel, disabled thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the nation’s nuclear sites in the late 2000s, the country removed a large portion of its government infrastructure from the internet.
Iran, which has been under Western sanctions for a long time, struggles to obtain modern gear and software and frequently has to rely on electronics made in China or outdated systems that are no longer receiving patches from vendors. A possible hacker would find it simpler to target as a result.
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