Cyber Incident Victim: Murfreesboro Water Department
Date:
Aug 2019
Location:
United States of America
Summary
The Murfreesboro Water Department's online bill payment portal was compromised, resulting in visible website defacement. Attackers replaced the site's content with an image of the Iranian flag accompanied by a Guy Fawkes mask and messages claiming responsibility under the aliases "Iranian Hackers" and "Mamad Warning." The breach disrupted customer access to payment services, though the legitimacy of the perpetrators' claimed affiliation remains unverified pending investigation.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On August 3, 2019, the Murfreesboro Water Department discovered unauthorized access to its online bill payment portal. The breach became apparent when visitors attempting to access the website encountered a defacement page displaying an Iranian flag alongside a Guy Fawkes mask image. Below the imagery, the page featured the text "Hacked By Iranian Hackers" followed by "Hacked By Mamad Warning." The intrusion was first identified on Saturday morning, though the exact timing of the initial compromise remained unclear. The defacement replaced normal payment functionality, preventing customers from conducting transactions through the portal. No specific claims regarding data theft or system manipulation beyond the visual defacement were publicly disclosed in initial reports.
City officials acknowledged the incident but did not immediately release technical details about the attack vector or infrastructure vulnerabilities exploited. The Water Department initiated an investigation to determine the scope of unauthorized access and verify whether customer data or payment systems were compromised beyond the website takeover. Public statements emphasized caution regarding the attackers' self-identified affiliation, noting that claims of Iranian origin required verification through forensic analysis. No secondary disruptions to water services or offline billing operations were reported. The investigation remained ongoing with no additional public updates confirmed within the immediate aftermath of the discovery.