A major ransomware attack has disrupted the German operations of gasoline supplier Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG disrupted. The supplier is responsible in Germany for supplying gasoline to the country's thousands of Shell service stations, among others.
The problem currently lies with the automated systems used to empty and fill tank trucks. These systems are now down at the 13 largest distribution sites. These processes cannot be operated manually. The company is now using alternative loading points to deal with the problems.
Unless it takes a particularly long time to fix the IT problems, there is no danger of serious fuel shortages yet. The concern remains real, however, as Oiltanking supplies fuel to 26 German companies. This includes Shell and thus as many as 1,955 gas stations throughout Germany. After a similar hack in the U.S., shortages did indeed occur briefly, followed by a run on gasoline in the affected areas.
No information is yet known about who is behind the attack and whether a ransom is being demanded. Because of the nature of the target, there is a significant chance that the company was attacked by government hackers. These groups more often target key infrastructure with the goal of causing economic damage and disrupting society.
Just last week, the BfV, the German counterpart of the AIVD, warned to be vigilant against attacks from APT27. This hacker group is suspected of attacking companies at the behest of the Chinese government.
