Iranian Hackers May have Infiltrated Into US Gas Station Systems: Report

Iranian hackers could have effected a series of breaches of US systems that keep a tab on amount of fuel in storage tanks that feed gas stations across states, CNN reported.

US officials suspect such breaches, and the hackers have probably infiltrated automatic tank gauge systems that were reportedly not password protected, according to the CNN exclusive.

The suspected breaches by Iranian cyber activists have not reportedly resulted in any physical damage to assets, but spurred safety concerns, according to CNN’s sources.

The report said gaining access to automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems may result in hackers exploiting the system to cause detection of gas leaks go unnoticed, according to the report quoting experts on the subject and US officials.

CNN reported that sources who have been briefed about the situation said the suspicion points toward Iran as hackers affiliated to the Islamic Republic have a history of targeting gas tanks. The report also assumes significance amid the Middle East conflict, which has resulted in a deadlock over the transit of vessels carrying crude through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran controls the choke point through which a fifth of world’s crude supplies were routed before the US-Israel war on Iran. The US has enforced a naval blockade of the Strait, a development which Iran terms as piracy.

The spike in oil prices continued on Friday as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and a top Iranian official said the country “cannot trust the Americans at all.”

The cyber breaches by suspected Iranian hackers could in some instances allow them to tamper with display readings on the tanks, though they cannot manipulate the actual levels of fuel in them, per the report.

The report said if confirmed, the cyber breaches would be the latest Iranian attempt to threaten critical infrastructure in the US, which remains out of the reach of Iran’s weaponry, amid the protracted Middle East conflict.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has reiterated that he isn’t worried about the finances of Americans while negotiating an end to the Iran war. Trump has said he was “OK” with higher gas prices, if it facilitated achieving America’s goals in the Iran conflict.

Gas prices in the US have recorded a 50% rise after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. The national average of gas pries has climbed to a steep $4.50, according to AAA figures.

A rise in gas prices is considered a sensitive political issue ahead of the midterm elections in September. This has forced them to distance their campaigns from trump’s remarks, saying they were taken out of context by political opponents and media.

The suspected Iranian hacking could again steer focus on gas prices in the US, posing problems to Republicans as the Democrats focus on affordability concerns.