CNN: Iranian Hackers Allegedly Accessed Gas Station Systems in Multiple U.S. States

CNN reported this week that hackers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly accessed payment and monitoring systems at gas stations across at least six U.S. states, prompting an emergency advisory from the FBI and CISA.

What Happened

According to a joint FBI/CISA advisory dated this month:

• Affected states include Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Washington.
• The intrusions targeted Internet-connected fuel-pump controllers — devices many station operators never knew were online.
• No widespread shutdowns occurred, but the attackers demonstrated the ability to alter prices, disable pumps, and exfiltrate transaction data.

The Likely Actor

Officials attribute the campaign to a unit known as "CyberAv3ngers," which the U.S. Treasury sanctioned in 2024 and which has previously targeted U.S. water utilities. The group is widely assessed to be operated by the IRGC.

Why Gas Stations?

Cybersecurity researchers at Dragos and Claroty told CNN that fuel infrastructure represents a "soft underbelly" of U.S. critical systems:

1. Most stations are independently owned with minimal IT staff.
2. Industrial control devices ship with default credentials.
3. Federal regulation of station-level cybersecurity is near nonexistent.

The Wider Context

The intrusions land amid heightened U.S.–Iran tensions following this year's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. U.S. officials describe the activity as "persistent, opportunistic, and asymmetric" — designed less to cause catastrophe than to demonstrate reach.

What Drivers Should Know

There is no evidence of stolen credit-card data at scale. CISA recommends:

• Paying with credit cards (better fraud protection than debit).
• Watching for skimmers at the pump.
• Reporting unusual pump behavior to station staff immediately.

Sources: CNN, FBI/CISA Joint Advisory, Dragos, Claroty, U.S. Department of the Treasury.