US Offers Reward for Iranian Hackers Behind Unitronics Water Utility Intrusions

The U.S. State Department offered up to $10 million for information on six Iranian government hackers allegedly linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command and the CyberAv3ngers campaign targeting Unitronics Vision Series PLCs used in critical infrastructure, including U.S. water utilities. U.S. officials said the group exploited internet-exposed devices with default credentials and, in late 2023, defaced compromised systems with anti-Israel messages while claiming the attacks were retaliation for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

One of the most visible incidents hit the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, which temporarily shifted to manual operations after an intrusion reached a pressure-regulating pump, though officials said water treatment and safe drinking water were not affected. In response, CISA began directly contacting water utilities with exposed Unitronics devices and urged operators to change default passwords, while the FBI and EPA said only a small number of utilities were known to be impacted but warned that exposed PLCs could provide a foothold for deeper network access and potential physical damage.