The Passive Defense Organization stated that the attacking malware on the fuel stations was identified and neutralized, but the perpetrators were not identified.
The Passive Defense Organization has published a detailed report on the cyber attack on the smart fuel distribution system and the shutdown of gas stations in Iran on Monday, December 18. The organization said it has sent this report to judicial authorities.
In this report, which was published by Iranian media, the cyber attack was confirmed. The attacking malware, identified and neutralized, had an APT nature. This malware infiltrated through a payment network vulnerability and attempted to implant malware agents in the system.
However, the Passive Defense Organization stated that to determine which group or government this malware belongs to, more digital evidence is needed.
According to the Passive Defense Organization’s report, on the morning of Monday, December 18, about 3,800 out of 4,396 fuel stations across Iran experienced disruptions due to a cyber infiltration in the IPC system, and their operation through fuel cards was not possible.
In this report, the Passive Defense Organization states that in 2020, it warned Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum about the insecure connection of multiple systems and networks to the smart fuel system as one of the main vulnerabilities, emphasizing that the fuel network and the financial transaction network officials bear direct responsibility for accountability.
A hacker group calling themselves ‘Predatory Sparrow’ claimed responsibility for hacking the fuel distribution systems in Iran on the same day.
In July 2022, this hacker group carried out a cyber attack on a steel factory in Iran, which caused a widespread fire.