CISA Warns: Over 900 US Gas Station Tank Gauges Exposed Online, Vulnerable to Attacks

What Happened

A joint advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) warns that over 900 automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems in the United States are exposed online and vulnerable to attacks. These systems, used at gas stations and industrial sites for fuel and chemical monitoring, have been targeted by threat actors exploiting hardcoded credentials, authentication bypasses, SQL injection, and other flaws. The advisory follows a CNN report of Iranian hackers breaching ATG systems at US gas stations. According to Shadowserver, 1,061 ATG systems are exposed globally, with 909 in the US.

Why It Matters

ATG systems are critical for monitoring fuel levels, detecting leaks, and triggering alarms. If compromised, attackers can alter settings, disable alerts, and cause equipment damage or environmental harm. This incident underscores the cybersecurity risks to critical infrastructure and the need for robust OT security and ICS vulnerability management. For organizations operating across jurisdictions, this advisory has compliance implications under NIS2 (for EU operations), DORA (for financial entities relying on such infrastructure), and CISA guidelines. US-based companies with EU subsidiaries must ensure their supply chain and operational technology meet NIS2's risk management and incident reporting requirements. DORA mandates ICT risk management and third-party risk oversight for financial entities, which may extend to fuel supply chain dependencies. CISA's advisory aligns with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 and sector-specific guidance.

What Organizations Should Do

The advisory recommends the following immediate actions:

• Restrict remote access to ATG systems using firewalls, VPNs, or jump boxes.
• Change default passwords and implement strong, unique credentials.
• Apply vendor patches and update firmware to address known vulnerabilities.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all remote access.
• Monitor network traffic for anomalous activity targeting ATG systems.
• Segment OT networks from IT networks to limit lateral movement.

For ongoing monitoring, platforms like AIGovHub's SENTINEL module provide geopolitical and supply chain risk monitoring, helping organizations track threats to critical infrastructure. The AIGovHub CCM module enables continuous controls monitoring and automated remediation workflows to ensure compliance with CISA guidelines and sector-specific regulations.

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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.