(NewsNation) — The United States State Department is offering up to $10 million for information that leads to the identification or whereabouts of a group of Near East hackers known as “CyberAv3ngers.”
The group — affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC) — targeted and compromised Israel-based Unitronics equipment, according to a news release.
In October 2023, CyberAv3ngers took credit for attacks against Israeli programmable logic controllers (PLCs) on their Telegram channel. The controllers are tools for water and wastewater, energy, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries.
Since at least Nov. 22, 2023, CyberAv3ngers actors have accessed PCLs across the U.S. and left a message on the devices’ screens stating, “You have been hacked, down with Israel. Every equipment ‘made in Israel’ is CyberAv3ngers legal target.” Affected devices may become inoperable.
On Feb. 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against six IRGC-CEC officials: Hamid Homayunfal, Hamid Reza Lashgarian, Mahdi Lashgarian, Milad Mansuri, Reza Mohammad Amin Saberian, and Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar. All are Iranian security officials linked to IRGC hacking groups. The U.S. has named them Specially Designated Nationals. As a result, any of their property in the U.S. is blocked, according to the release.
Anyone with information on CyberAv3ngers should contact Rewards for Justice via the tips reporting link on the Rewards for Justice website linked here. Rewards for Justice is a U.S. interagency under the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.
