LAGOS, Nigeria, — Kaspersky Lab researchers have helped uncover a number of unknown vulnerabilities that have left gas stations around the world exposed to remote takeover, often for years. The vulnerabilities were found in an embedded gas station controller of which there are currently over 1,000 installed and online. The manufacturer was notified when the threat was confirmed.
Thumbnail image of the map.
Oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta yesterday said they have declared a period of fasting and prayer for President Muhammadu Buhari, to return to the country alive and healthy. National Chairman of the Host Communities of Nigeria, (HOSCON), umbrella body of all areas producing oil and gas.
Kaspersky Lab experts found the controller during unrelated research into devices with open connections to the internet. In many cases the controller had been placed in the fuel station over a decade ago and had been connected to the internet ever since.
The controller, which runs a Linux machine, operates with high privileges and the researchers discovered a number of vulnerabilities that leave the device and the systems it is connected to open to cyberattack. For example, the researchers were able to monitor and configure many of the gas station settings. An intruder able to bypass the login screen and gain access to the main interfaces would be able to do any of the following:
- Shut down all fueling systems
- Change the fuel prices
- Cause fuel leakages
- Circumvent payment terminals to steal money (the controller connects directly to the payment terminal, so payment transactions could be hijacked)
- Scrape vehicle license plates and driver identities
- Execute code on the controller unit
- Move freely within the gas station network
“When it comes to connected devices it is easy to focus on the new and to forget about products installed many years ago that might be leaving the business wide open to attack. The damage that could be done by sabotaging a gas station doesn’t bear thinking about. We have shared our findings with the manufacturer,” said Ido Naor, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
The vulnerabilities have also been reported to MITRE and the research is ongoing.
Kaspersky Lab advises manufacturers of connected internet-of-thing devices to consider the security of their products from the very first moment of development and design, and to review legacy devices for possible security vulnerabilities. Users of connected devices are urged to review regularly the security of these devices and not to rely on factory settings.
Nigeria Oil and Gas Concessions Map and Licenses.
NBR Services, France. 2006. The map is accompanied by a 25-page .pdf file including the list of operators, partners, type of Joint Operating Agreement (JOA), OMLs and OPLs as well as the oilfields and some technical information.
Thumbnail image of the map.
65-1060 | Per sheet | $999.95 |
Sample data: CHEVRON NIGERIA LTD. (JV : NNPC 60%, Chevron 40%)
OPL / OML | Discovery | Number of Producing | Installed | Water | Production Datas | STOIIP | Notes |
OML 49 | Abiteye | 11 | Flow Station | 2001= 5,159 | |||
Aroh | 1992 | 1 | None | 1992 to 2002= 0 2003 (estim.)= 4,625 2004 (estim.)= 16,821 | 88.8 | Producing cost 2.42$/bbls | |
Benin River | 9 | 1997= 30,000 1998= 49,000 2001= 19,017 | |||||
Dibi | 1995 | 9 | Flow Station | 4 | 1995 to 1997= 0 1999= 24,000 2001= 21,627 | 548.441 | 0% gas flaring. Expected peak production 65 000 bopd. |
Ewan | 1980 | 11 | EPS (1998) | 6 | 1980 to 1997= 0 1999= 40,000 2001= 19,684 | 620.6 | Developed at $ 1,3/bbl. Low to medium gravity oil. 3 main reservoirs at depths 4,500’-6,000’. |
Gbokoda | 1995 | 25 | 3 - 6 | 1995 to 1997= 0 1998= 23,000 1999= 40,000 2001= 29,857 | 713.26 | 0% gas flaring. Expected production 85 000 bopd. |
This map and the listing include:
- NNPC Joint Ventures (JVs),
- Discretionnary Rounds (Production Sharing Contracts, Sole Risk, Service Contract),
- Indigenous Licensing Round 1993,
- Deep Water PSCs,
- PSCs Back up Rights 2003-2004,
- Listing of Blocks (Niger Delta Onshore, Niger Delta Continental Shelf, Niger Delta Deep Offshore, Anambra Basin, Benue Trough Onshore, Chad Basin Onshore),
- Listing of oilfields,
- Listing of marginal fields round 2001,
- Listing of marginal fields operators and partners,
- Nigeria - Sao Tome Joint Development Zone (JDZ) (listing only).
- Listing of JDZ Nigeria/Sao Tomé operators and partners,