ESET Discovers Dangerous Malware Designed to Disrupt Industrial Control Systems

Malware likely responsible for 2016 Ukrainian power grid attack,
biggest threat to industrial control systems since Stuxnet

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ESET
researchers have been analyzing samples of dangerous malware (detected
by ESET as Win32/Industroyer, and named “Industroyer”) capable of
performing an attack on power supply infrastructure. The malware was
likely involved in the December 2016 cyberattack on Ukraine’s power grid
that deprived part of its capital, Kiev, of power for over an hour.

“The recent attack on the Ukrainian power grid should serve as a wake-up
call for all those responsible for the security of critical systems
around the world,” warns ESET Senior Malware Researcher Anton Cherepanov.

ESET researchers discovered
that Industroyer is capable of directly controlling electricity
substation switches and circuit breakers. It uses industrial
communication protocols used worldwide in power supply infrastructure,
transportation control systems, and other critical infrastructure. The
potential impact may range from simply turning off power distribution,
triggering a cascade of failures, to more serious damage to equipment.

“Industroyer’s ability to persist in the system and to directly
interfere with the operation of industrial hardware makes it the most
dangerous malware threat to industrial control systems since the
infamous Stuxnet, which successfully attacked Iran’s nuclear program and
was discovered in 2010,” concludes Cherepanov.

Additional technical details on the malware, including indicators of
compromise, can be found in an article
and in a comprehensive white paper on ESET’s blog, WeLiveSecurity.com.

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Contacts

ESET North America
Anna Keeve, 619-405-5175
[email protected]