Iran's Cyber War: Hackers Use Fake Hiring Scams to Go After US Aviation Engineers

Iran-linked hackers allegedly posed as job recruiters and created fake employment opportunities to target software engineers in the aviation sector during the US and Israeli conflict with Iran, according to cybersecurity researchers. Researchers with Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 told CNN that the campaign also targeted a US oil and gas company along with organizations in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

The operation reportedly relied on fake job postings and video conferencing software embedded with malicious code. In one instance, the hackers impersonated a US airline while advertising a “senior software engineer” role. Researchers said the posting appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence and included common corporate phrases “collaborating with cross-functional teams.”

According to the researchers, aviation, oil, and gas companies were likely targeted because compromising them could help Iran monitor flight manifests in the Middle East or better understand how US energy companies were responding to volatile oil markets during the conflict.

Unit 42 researchers said they do not believe the hackers successfully breached the aviation or oil firms that were targeted, though they believe other organizations in the wider campaign may have been compromised.

The hacking activity comes as US officials continue monitoring possible Iranian cyber threats against American infrastructure. CNN previously reported that Iranian hackers were also considered possible suspects in a series of breaches involving tank readers at US gas stations.

Jeffrey Troy, president of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center, said the alleged Iranian campaign was not unexpected. “We have been expecting attacks as a consequence of the war,” Troy told CNN.

Researchers said the Iranian hacking group has shown “no signs of slowing down” despite Israeli strikes in March that reportedly targeted Iran’s cyber warfare headquarters.

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Naman is a copy editor at Times Now, with over three years experience in covering US News, politics, global affairs, sports, and other domains. Apart ... View More