Cyber attack shuts down 70% of Iranian gas stations, Israeli hacker claims responsibility



Iranian state-owned media reported on December 18, 2023 that 70% of gas stations across Iran had ceased service due to a cyber attack. On the same day, a hacker group that Iran claims has ties to Israel issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, stating that the attack was in response to the invasion of

the Islamic Republic .

Iran points at Israeli-linked group as cyberattack disrupts fuel network | News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/18/iran-says-cyberattack-disrupts-petrol-stations-across-country

Israel-linked group claims cyberattack that shut down 70% of Iran's gas stations | The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-linked-group-claims-cyberattack-that-shuts-down-70-of-irans-gas-stations/

Iran petrol stations hit by cyberattack, oil minister says | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/software-problem-disrupts-iranian-gas-stations-fars-2023-12-18/

Petroleum Minister Javad Owji told Iranian state television that ``70% of gas stations in Iran are out of service, and this may be due to interference from outside.'' According to Minister of Petroleum Owzi, there are 3,800 gas stations under the jurisdiction of the Iranian government, of which 1,650 remain open.

In connection with this cyber attack, a hacker group calling itself ``Gonjeshke Darande'' (Predatory Sparrow in Persian) announced a claim of responsibility on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.

In a statement released in English and Farsi, the hackers said: 'We at Gonjeshke Darande conducted another cyber attack today, destroying the majority of gas pumps across Iran. It is against human aggression. Khamenei , there is a price to pay for playing with fire.'



According to Israeli news site The Times of Israel, Gonjeshke Darande is believed to have ties to the Israeli General Staff Intelligence Service , and Iranian state media reports that the group has previously been linked to Iranian gas stations, railway networks, and steel factories. reported that they are claiming to have carried out a cyber attack against.

Regarding the origin of the group's name, which means ``meat-eating sparrow'' in Persian, Gonjeshke Darande says, ``The small wings of sparrows cast a shadow of death on earthworms and locusts. Just block the account.'

Gonjeshke Darande published a screenshot of a management system that appears to have been stolen from an Iranian gas station as evidence of a cyberattack.



Furthermore, Gonjeshke Darande said, 'As in previous years, this cyberattack was carried out in a controlled manner, with measures taken to minimize damage to emergency services.' The gas station insisted it was in good faith to stay open.



According to Al Jazeera, a satellite television station in the Middle East, a large-scale cyber attack on fuel stations occurred in Iran, causing long lines across the country for the first time since a similar situation occurred in 2021.

The situation is particularly severe in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where Iranian media reports that many gas stations have been disrupted since early morning and that people are forced to refuel by manually operating the pumps. Ta.

In Iran, a large amount of subsidies are paid to gasoline prices, and a stable supply of fuel is one of the important measures for the Iranian government to gain support from the people. The Iranian government has accused Israel and its ally the United States of being behind these attacks on gas stations.



Reza Naval, a spokesperson for the Iranian Fuel Station Association, told Farsnews Agency, Iran's semi-official media outlet, that ``a software problem in the fuel system has been confirmed at some stations across the country, and experts are investigating. 'We are currently resolving the issue,' he said, adding that although there is no risk of fuel shortages, drivers should refrain from refueling. Iranian state media also reported that it would take six to seven hours to recover from the problem.

Meanwhile, Israeli government spokesperson Tal Heinrich declined to comment, saying at a press conference: 'We have nothing to say about Iran's claims.'

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