GoKawiilIranian hackers reportedly breached systems that monitor fuel levels in storage tanks serving gas stations around the US, demonstrating yet again the changing nature of modern warfare and Iran's cyber reach beyond its active military engagement with the US and Israel.
Threat actors from Iran allegedly exploited automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were exposed online and lacked password protections, according to a report published by CNN Friday that cited sources familiar with the incident. Attackers managed to change display readings on the tanks but not the actual levels of fuel in them, according to the report.
For more than a decade, security experts have warned about the risks posed by insecure ATG systems that can be hacked or tampered with by threat actors. Last year, an RSAC Conference 2025 session detailed how an attack on such systems by a skilled threat actor could trigger cascading effects leading to a disruption of critical infrastructure.
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Iran is the suspected perpetrator of the recent attacks due to its history of targeting gas tank systems, though lack of forensic evidence makes it difficult to identify the attacker with certainty, according to the report. It also makes sense that Iran would be the culprit, given that it's currently engaged in an ongoing conflict with the US and Israel that has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical waterway for the transport of oil in the region.
Though active military engagement is on pause for now due to a shaky ceasefire, oil prices remain volatile and higher than usual — which, in turn, has caused the price of fuel to rise worldwide, creating disruption for industries and citizens alike.
Dark Reading contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for comment, but neither organization had responded at press time.
No Damage from ATG Compromises for Now
At this point, there appears to be no significant disruption to fuel-related critical infrastructure in the US due to the attack. However, the incident is a clear example of "how geopolitical conflict no longer stays confined to traditional battlefields," Louis Eichenbaum, federal chief technology officer (CTO) at security firm ColorTokens, tells Dark Reading via email.
Indeed, critical infrastructure already has been both target and pawn in the kinetic war; both Iranian and US/Israeli forces have either targeted or threatened to destroy critical infrastructure in rival countries via cyber or bombing attacks, or both.
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