US officials allege Israel behind cyberattack on Iranian gas stations
Israel was behind a cyberattack on Iran's nationwide fuel
distribution system in late October that paralyzed the Islamic republic's 4,300
gas stations, two US defense officials speaking on condition of anonymity told
the New York Times over the weekend.
The attack came on the heels of previous cyberattacks in
recent months, which shut down vital services and infrastructure in Iran – from
disruptions to traffic lights and train services to water and electric
supplies.
No one assumed responsibility for disabling the gas stations
or for the previous attacks in Iran. In Tehran, too, officials were careful not
to point a finger at the "usual suspects," although Iranian President
Ebrahim Raisi said that a country with cyber-capabilities wanted to "make
people angry by creating disorder and disruption." The foreign and Israeli
press had already attributed the cyberattacks to Israel, saying their objective
was to apply pressure on the Iranian regime and stall its nuclear progress.
In response to the alleged Israeli attack, the
Iran-affiliated hacker group "BlackShadow" hacked the servers of
Israeli internet company Cyberserve. The hackers shuttered the company's
servers and threatened to leak data pertaining to hundreds of thousands of
users.
Cyberserve is a web hosting company that provides servers
and data storage for companies such as Kan public broadcaster, the Israel
Lottery, Birthright, the Dan and Kavim public transportation companies, the
Children's Museum in Holon, LGBTQ dating app "Atraf," tour booking
company Pegasus, the Israeli Children's Museum, and dozens of other sites.
Israel also accused Iran of carrying out a cyberattack in
early April on a minor water facility that sought to poison the water supply
delivered to hundreds of thousands of homes in the greater Tel Aviv area.
Meanwhile, to get pumps back online, the NY Times reported,
Iran's Oil Ministry had to send technicians to every gas station in the
country. Once the pumps were reset, most stations could still sell only
unsubsidized fuel, which is twice the price of subsidized fuel.
It took nearly two weeks to restore the subsidy network,
which allots each vehicle 60 liters (about 16 gallons) a month at half price.
The alleged Israeli hack, however, may have been more
serious than an inconvenience to motorists, the NY Times report speculated.
A senior manager in the Oil Ministry and an oil dealer with
knowledge of the investigation, who spoke to the NYT on the condition of
anonymity "to avoid repercussions" said that officials were alarmed
that the hackers had also seized control of the ministry's fuel storage tanks
and may have gained access to data on international oil sales – a state secret
that could expose how Iran evades international sanctions.
According to the NYT, because the oil ministry's computer
servers contain such sensitive data, the system operates unconnected to the
internet, leading to suspicions among Iranian officials that Israel may have
had inside help.
Three senior Israeli officials, who asked not to be
identified in order to discuss secret cyber issues, told the NY Times that
Black Shadow was either part of the Iranian government or freelance hackers
working for the government.
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