US agencies warn of attacks on refrigeration systems
Original title: US agencies warn attackers are targeting refrigeration systems that protect food and medicine
CISA and FBI urge operators to disconnect controllers from the internet and implement mitigations to prevent temperature manipulation in food and medicine storage.
Five US federal agencies including CISA and the FBI have warned that threat actors are targeting electronic temperature controllers in industrial refrigeration and cold-chain systems. Attackers may exploit unpatched systems or exposed controllers to change temperature settings or force units into heating cycles, risking inventory loss and public health impacts. Organizations in healthcare, food, and transportation sectors are at risk. Recommendations include disconnecting controllers from the internet, using firewalls, and updating firmware.
- Joint advisory from CISA, FBI, HHS, USDA, DOT
- Targets controllers in grocery and cold storage
- Possible exploitation via authentication bypass and arbitrary code injection
- Consequences include fire hazards and spoiled products
- Past attacks in Europe with blood banks affected
Impact: Manipulation of refrigeration temperatures leading to spoiled food or medicine, equipment damage, and public health risks
- 1.Take controllers offline from the internet
- 2.Implement firewall or edge device for remote access
- 3.Apply firmware updates
- Countries
- US
From the original article
3 min read at helpnetsecurity.com
Threat actors are going after the controllers that keep grocery store freezers and cold storage rooms at safe temperatures, and they may push those units into continuous heating and defrost cycles, five US federal agencies warned in a joint advisory published on Thursday.
By Sinisa Markovic · helpnetsecurity.com
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