Iranian authorities are blaming a cyberattack for disrupting services at gas stations across the country today.

The form of the cyberattack is unknown at this time and no group has claimed responsibility, The Times of Israel reported. The attack rendered useless government-issued electronic cards that Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump.

“The Supreme National Security Council confirmed that there has been a cyberattack against the petrol distribution computer system,” state television reported said before adding that “details of the attack and its source are under investigation.”

The Associated Press reports that the cyberattack resulted in long lines of cars waiting to fill up in the Iranian capital of Tehran with many pumps off and stations closed. Those who did try to use pumps with the card were presented with a message that read “cyberattack 64411.”

The number is associated with an office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that handles questions about Islamic law, suggesting that there may have been a political motivation behind the attack.

An attack that targeted Iran’s railroad system in July also saw the number displayed and has been linked in some reports to a hacking group going by the name Indra. In August, researchers at Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. said that the Indra hacking group was also behind three separate attacks on companies in Syria.

“It would be interesting to see who claims responsibility for this attack,” Steve Daniels SRMC, head of vCISO at cybersecurity company Cyvatar, told SiliconANGLE. “It appears to be politically motivated and for me highlights the need to effectively manage the security of critical national infrastructure.”

Daniels noted that there has been a lot of press around climate change organizations in recent months blockading transport routes and targeting government infrastructure. “These groups are intent on disrupting industries and targeting anyone that appears to be at odds with current climate change messaging and policy,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time that they realize how effective a well-timed and targeted cyberattack can be.”

Nasser Fattah, North America steering committee chair at third part risk management member organization Shared Assessments, noted the irony of a country known as a nation-state threat actor getting attacked.

“And from a supply chain perspective, it shows that attacking common consumer goods, like gas, can quickly have an immediate impact on the economy,” Fattah added. “Think of delivery trucks, due to shortage of gas, now unable to deliver goods to the market. Such cyberattacks can also have a ripple effect in society that can lead to riots and mayhem.”

Photo: Asadi S/Wikimedia Commons