EXCLUSIVE: Hackers have breached tank readers at US gas stations; officials suspect Iran is responsible

Source: CNN Politics

Updated May 15, 2026, 2:41 PM ET
PUBLISHED May 15, 2026, 2:40 PM ET


US officials suspect Iranian hackers are behind a series of breaches of systems that monitor the amount of fuel in storage tanks serving gas stations in multiple states, according to multiple sources briefed on the activity. The hackers responsible have exploited automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were sitting online and unprotected by passwords, allowing them in some cases to tinker with display readings on the tanks but not the actual levels of fuel in them, the sources said.

The cyber intrusions are not known to have caused physical damage or harm, but the breaches have raised safety concerns because gaining access to an ATG could, in theory, allow a hacker to make a gas leak go undetected, according to private experts and US officials.

The sources briefed on the investigation said Iran’s history of targeting the gas tank systems is one reason the country is a top suspect. But, the sources cautioned, the US government may not be able to definitively determine who was responsible because of a lack of forensic evidence left by the hackers.

CNN has requested comment on the ATG hack from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The FBI declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/15/politics/iran-hackers-tank-readers-gas-stations