CyberAv3ngers

US Offers $10 Million Reward for Iranian IRGC Cyber Commander Amir Yaryab

The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million through the Rewards for Justice program for information leading to the identification or location of Amir Yaryab, leader of the Cyber Operations Command within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Yaryab oversees units responsible for cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Groups under his direction, including Shahid Hemmat and Shahid Shushtari, have conducted campaigns against defense, energy, telecommunications, finance, transportation, hotels, and airlines sectors. He is also linked to structures associated with the CyberAv3ngers group, known for attacks on industrial control systems and operational technology equipment. Previous operations attributed to IRGC-linked actors compromised internet-exposed Unitronics programmable logic controllers, affecting at least 75 devices between November 2023 and January 2024, including 34 in the US water and wastewater sector. The reward specifically targets individuals acting under foreign government direction in malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure.

Iranian Hackers Disable Safety Alarms in US Industrial Control Systems

Iranian threat actors have been compromising internet-exposed industrial controllers across the United States since at least March 2026, modifying alarm and safety shutdown logic in critical infrastructure. The campaign has targeted government organizations and operators in the water, wastewater, and energy sectors, resulting in operational disruptions and financial losses. Attackers focus on devices with insecure remote access, weak credentials, or default configurations rather than exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities. Targeted hardware includes Rockwell CompactLogix and Micro850 controllers, Schneider BMX P34 and Modicon M340 PLCs, and Siemens S7-1200 models. Operators use rented foreign infrastructure and legitimate programming software to download, alter, and re-upload control logic projects. In at least one case, malicious code maintained normal operations while introducing instructions that bypassed safe operational limits and altered data displayed on HMI and SCADA interfaces. The tactics closely resemble prior activity attributed to the CyberAv3ngers group linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, though direct attribution remains unconfirmed.