Is Your OT Environment on the Bad Actor's Radar?

CISA and the FBI issued a joint advisory warning that threat actors are actively targeting automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems — the devices your facility uses to monitor fuel levels, fluid temperatures, and leak detection across your operational environment. The advisory, co-signed by the EPA, NSA, DOE, DOT, and USDA, is one of the broadest multi-agency OT security alerts issued this year.
The message is clear: your industrial monitoring systems are now a front door for attackers.

What Are ATG Systems — and Why Do Hackers Want In?
Automatic tank gauges are embedded devices used across dozens of industries to track liquid levels, monitor temperature, and trigger safety alerts when leaks occur. They're found at:

Gas stations and fuel distribution terminals
Food and beverage manufacturing facilities
Agricultural storage and farm operations
Chemical storage and bulk liquid handling facilities

These systems were designed for reliability, not security. Many are internet-exposed, run legacy firmware, and use default or hardcoded credentials — making them low-hanging fruit for attackers looking for easy OT entry points.

How Attackers Are Getting In: 3 Exploit Paths You Need to Know
According to the CISA/FBI advisory, threat actors are leveraging multiple access vectors to compromise ATG systems:

1. Authentication Bypass & Hardcoded Credentials
Attackers are gaining access to device management interfaces by exploiting built-in default credentials that were never changed — and in some cases, credentials that cannot be changed because they're hardcoded into the firmware.

2. OS Command Execution & SQL Injection
Once in, threat actors are executing arbitrary commands and manipulating underlying databases — giving them the ability to alter sensor readings, disable alerts, or mask a real leak from operators.

3. Privilege Escalation
Attackers are elevating their access to full administrator privileges, gaining complete control over both the device application and the operating system it runs on.
The result? A compromised ATG can disable leak detection, falsify tank readings, or disrupt fill operations entirely — all without triggering any visible alarm.

The Iran Connection: State-Sponsored Threats Are Targeting Your Industry
Federal authorities have not formally attributed these attacks, but reporting from CNN indicates the activity is suspected to be connected to Iran-linked hackers. This is consistent with a broader pattern: CISA and the FBI issued a similar advisory in April 2026, warning that Iran-linked threat groups were targeting U.S. water and energy utilities — attacks that resulted in both operational and financial impacts.
Iran-backed APT groups have a documented history of targeting U.S. critical infrastructure since the 2023 Gaza conflict, including vulnerable water systems, energy utilities, and now industrial fluid monitoring systems.
If your sector — manufacturing, food & beverage, chemical, or energy — hasn't yet assessed your OT attack surface, this advisory should be the trigger.

The Operational Risk Goes Beyond the Tank
Security researchers are careful to note that a hacked ATG cannot physically cause a leak. But the downstream consequences of a compromised monitoring environment are significant:

Disrupted leak detection creates undetected environmental and safety hazards
False safety alerts can trigger costly shutdowns or — worse — desensitize operators to real emergencies
Disabled fill operations halt production and logistics
Compromised food-grade storage monitoring threatens supply chain continuity and regulatory compliance

For food and beverage manufacturers in particular, the Food and Agriculture ISAC has warned that a compromised ATG can "disrupt harvest operations, trigger false safety alerts, or interfere with food-grade storage, with downstream impacts on food and supply continuity."

What CISA Says You Should Do Right Now
Federal authorities are urging operators to take immediate hardening steps:

✅ Disconnect ATG systems from the public internet — if remote access is required, place systems behind a VPN with MFA enforced
✅ Change all default passwords — audit every OT device for hardcoded or unchanged credentials
✅ Apply available security patches — review vendor advisories and prioritize ATG firmware updates
✅ Segment your OT network — limit lateral movement by isolating industrial devices from IT environments
✅ Enable monitoring and alerting — know when your OT devices are being accessed or modified
These are baseline steps. If your organization hasn't conducted a formal OT security assessment, these recommendations alone won't tell you what you don't know.

InfoSight Helps Industrial Organizations See What's Hiding in Their OT Environment
At InfoSight, OT/ICS security is one of our core practice areas — and for good reason. The manufacturing, energy, and food production sectors we serve are precisely the targets named in this advisory.
Our managed cybersecurity services are designed for organizations that operate both IT and OT environments, where a breach in one domain can cascade into the other.

Here's how we help:

OT Risk & Vulnerability Assessments — We identify exposed devices, unpatched firmware, and misconfigured access controls across your operational technology environment before attackers do.
OT Monitoring (24/7 via the Mitigator Platform) — Our managed detection capabilities include OT/ICS/SCADA threat intelligence, dark web monitoring, and CVE tracking — mapped to your specific environment.
Penetration Testing — We simulate the attack paths outlined in this CISA advisory — authentication bypass, command execution, privilege escalation — so you can validate your defenses under real-world conditions.
Advisory Services — Our security experts help your leadership develop an OT security roadmap aligned to NIST CSF and your industry's regulatory requirements.

Don't Wait for the Next Advisory
The CISA/FBI warning is a signal, not a sentence. Organizations that act now — by assessing their OT exposure, closing credential gaps, and deploying continuous monitoring — are the ones that avoid the breach headline.
Ready to understand your OT risk?

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