Coast Guard and FBI Investigate Cyberattack on Texas-Bound Oil Tanker

Coast Guard personnel and FBI agents boarded a Texas-bound commercial oil tanker in the Atlantic last month after determining that the ship's network may have been compromised by a foreign actor, according to a statement from the Coast Guard on September 16, 2026. Iranian state media reported that hackers gained control over the vessel's propulsion, navigation, and cargo systems, leading to a loss of communications for 30 hours. The Coast Guard did not disclose the name of the ship, but Iranian reports identified it as the VL Prosperity, a 333-meter supertanker capable of carrying approximately 2.3 million barrels of oil. Public vessel data indicates that the Liberian-flagged very large crude carrier was headed for Galveston, Texas. HMM Ocean Service Co., Ltd., the company managing the VL Prosperity, confirmed that the Coast Guard had boarded the vessel. On August 20, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that the VL Prosperity had been attacked and lost communications on August 7 while traveling from Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal toward the U.S. An unnamed crew member cited in the report alleged that the attackers accessed engine-room systems, reduced engine cooling flow, increased engine speed, and interfered with fuel and lubricating-oil systems. According to the Coast Guard, a specialized team of law enforcement personnel, a vessel inspector, Cyber Protection Team members, and FBI Cyber Action Team operators boarded the ship on August 21. They examined both the vessel's operational technology and information technology systems and collaborated with the crew and the ship's corporate operators to address the threat. The Coast Guard stated that there were currently no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts. Unconfirmed reports of the attack first emerged after the ship passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, which is located between Spain and Morocco. The potential risks of compromising a commercial oil tanker's systems extend beyond data theft or communication failures. Modern tankers utilize interconnected operational technology (OT) to manage propulsion, navigation, and cargo systems, all of which are internet-connected. Although unlikely, if a hostile state were to access and hijack these systems remotely, it could theoretically manipulate a vessel's movement or critical machinery, potentially turning a large oil tanker into a weapon against a port. The U.S. has not provided details regarding the extent of the possible breach, only confirming indications that the vessel's network had been compromised. HMM stated that it has rigorous cyber protocols in place to ensure the safety and security of the vessels under its management. The U.S. has not attributed the possible cyber attack to a specific actor. Following Mehr's report, Iranian state media amplified the story in the weeks after the breach, suggesting that the regime was opening a new cyber front in its conflict with the U.S. Four days after Mehr's report, Iran's Tasnim News Agency published an article with the headline "No American Vessel Is Safe Anymore: Will Cannons Give Way to Codes?"