Soon after the cyberattack, videos and posts started surfacing on social media displaying messages that read: “Khamenei! Where is our gas?” Another sign read: “Free gas in Jamaran gas station.”
Petrol stations across Iran were crippled after a cyberattack that led to disruption in fuel sales and defacing electronic billboards for displaying threatening messages mocking the government’s ability to distribute fuel.
Iranian President Confirms the Attack
On Wednesday, Irani president Ebrahim Raisi confirmed that operations at the country’s gas stations were disrupted after suffering a sweeping cyberattack and blamed the act on attackers aiming to create “disorder and disruption.”
SEE: Hackers deface Airport screens in Iran with anti-government messages
According to the head of Iran’s Supreme Cyberspace Council, Abolhassan Firouzabadi, the attacks could be state-sponsored, but it was too early to reach some conclusion about the possible country behind this cyber intrusion.
Attack Aftermath
Soon after the attack, videos and posts started surfacing on social media displaying messages that read:
“Khamenei! Where is our gas?”
Another sign read: “Free gas in Jamaran gas station.”
As gas stations around #Iran are out of service, video is circulating showing a sign displayed on a highway asking Khamenei where is our gasoline? This reminds me of the incident in July during the cyberattack on the rail system, directing travelers to call Khamenei's office. https://t.co/XqUoXR9vep
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) October 26, 2021
Petrol pumps displayed the phrase “cyberattack 64411” when someone purchased fuel. It is worth noting that the digits 64411 represent the phone line connected to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office.
SEE: Crippling attack on Iranian trains linked to Meteor file wiper malware
After the attack, long queues were formed outside petrol pumps as government-issued cards got disabled, which most people used to buy subsidized fuel. Irani president believes that anti-Iran forces could be behind this attack and that there was a dire need for cyber readiness.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for this attack. At least half of the affected gas stations resumed operations after manual settings were activated, and the rest were expected to be back online soon. According to NBC’s report, the country’s oil ministry released this statement regarding the attack:
“The technical problem of the fuel smart system will be resolved soon,” noting that the gasoline price hike rumors were not true.
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