FBI warns hackers are targeting Siemens PLCs amid fears over Iran-linked US water attacks
AI-enabled exploits are increasingly being deployed by attackers to target the critical Siemens devices.
Image by Dado Ruvic | Reuters
- Hackers are targeting Siemens S7 PLCs used across US critical infrastructure.
- AI is helping attackers develop working exploits faster and with less expertise.
- The warning follows recent Iran-linked water-system attacks across at least 12 US states.
- Compromised PLCs could disrupt operations, damage equipment, and trigger cascading outages.
Several U.S. government agencies warned that unidentified hackers are trying to breach devices made by Siemens that are used to monitor and operate water facilities and other critical infrastructure systems, according to a cybersecurity advisory published on Wednesday.
The warning comes amid widespread cyber incidents targeting local water systems in multiple states in recent weeks, in attacks that cybersecurity experts suspect are linked to Iran.
The advisory describes an "active threat" to all Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers across multiple critical infrastructure sectors.
This includes manufacturing, energy, water and wastewater, chemical, food, and agriculture facilities, according to the warning issued by the FBI, National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Depending on specific circumstances, compromises of these devices could lead to the disruption of critical processes, safety incidents, downtime or equipment damage, the compromise of sensitive data, compliance violations and cascading impacts across interconnected systems, the government warned.
According to the advisory, the hackers are using AI to dramatically reduce the technical expertise and time required to develop exploits that can successfully compromise the systems, the agencies said.
CISA warned on July 30 of a significant increase in hackers targeting programmable logic controllers, following on a July 22 advisory warning of Iranian-affiliated hackers exploiting such devices manufactured by Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric.
Federal officials have stopped short of formally linking Iran to the recent attacks on local water systems, while President Donald Trump said on July 31 that he did not believe Iran was involved.
Instead, he blamed it on Minnesota, the first state to report a wave of at least 30 water-related cyber incidents that occurred on July 26 and July 27.
Siemens did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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