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U.S. federal agencies have updated a cybersecurity advisory warning that Iran-linked threat actors are targeting internet-exposed industrial control system devices and programmable logic controllers from Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation. Investigators said the attackers used legitimate vendor programming software to connect to vulnerable PLCs, steal project files, alter ladder logic, and interfere with safety-related functions, including disabling shutdown and alarm mechanisms while manipulating HMI and SCADA displays to conceal the changes.
The activity has affected organizations in government services, facilities, energy, and water and wastewater sectors, with identified targeting that includes Rockwell CompactLogix and Micro850, Schneider Electric Modicon M340, and Siemens S7-1200 devices. The updated advisory adds refreshed indicators of compromise and detection guidance, and places the campaign in the broader pattern of Iranian operational technology intrusions associated with groups such as CyberAv3ngers and Handala, underscoring the risk of disruptive or destructive attacks against critical infrastructure.
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2 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
U.S. federal agencies updated a cybersecurity advisory warning that Iran-linked threat actors are targeting internet-exposed industrial control system devices, including PLCs from Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation. The update added detection guidance and refreshed indicators of compromise, and described attacker actions such as exfiltrating project files, modifying ladder logic, and disabling shutdown and alarm functions.
U.S. agencies said Iranian-affiliated threat actors have been observed since at least March 2026 targeting internet-exposed operational technology in the U.S. water and energy sectors. The activity included accessing exposed PLCs, exfiltrating project files, modifying controller logic, manipulating HMI/SCADA displays, and disabling shutdown and alarm functions.
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A joint U.S. government advisory said Iranian-affiliated cyber actors are actively exploiting internet-facing operational technology devices across multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, with a particular focus on **Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley programmable logic controllers (PLCs)**. The activity has affected organizations in Government Services and Facilities, Water and Wastewater Systems, and Energy, where attackers maliciously interacted with project files and manipulated data displayed on **HMI** and **SCADA** systems, causing operational disruption and financial losses for some victims. The campaign has been observed since at least March 2026 and shows similarities to prior **CyberAv3ngers** activity linked to the IRGC Cyber Electronic Command. According to the advisory, the actors used overseas IP infrastructure, **Rockwell Studio 5000 Logix Designer**, OT-related ports including `44818`, `2222`, `102`, `22`, and `502`, and **Dropbear SSH** for remote access. U.S. authorities urged operators to remove PLCs from direct internet exposure, harden remote access, enable logging, place controllers in run mode where appropriate, and review published indicators of compromise and ATT&CK-mapped TTPs alongside Rockwell Automation security guidance.
Jul 22, 2026
**Iran-linked CyberAv3ngers** activity targeting **Unitronics Vision PLCs** in internet-exposed operational technology environments is the clearest common security event in the provided material. The reporting describes campaigns against critical infrastructure, especially **water and wastewater systems**, with attackers exploiting **default credentials**, weak segmentation, and exposed OT assets to gain access and potentially disrupt operations or manipulate industrial processes. The activity is framed as part of broader Iranian state-linked cyber operations aligned with regional geopolitical tensions, with emphasis on U.S. and allied infrastructure at risk of operational and possible physical consequences. One reference provides technical and threat-context detail on the **CyberAv3ngers/IRGC-linked** targeting of Unitronics devices, while another discusses the wider cyber dimension of conflict involving Iranian groups pre-positioning in U.S. networks and threatening sectors such as water, hospitals, finance, and power. That second piece is relevant as contextual support for the same Iran-linked critical infrastructure threat environment, though it is broader and less specific to the **Unitronics PLC** intrusion pattern. The remaining references cover unrelated topics including malicious npm packages, GitHub repository compromise, Ivanti EPMM exploitation, a Ukraine-focused backdoor campaign, AI security commentary, and vendor detection updates, and do not describe the same incident or disclosure.
Jun 29, 2026
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.
Jun 29, 2026