ORBCOMM ransomware attack causes trucking fleet management outage

9/15/23 update added below.

Trucking and fleet management solutions provider ORBCOMM has confirmed that a ransomware attack is behind recent service outages preventing trucking companies from managing their fleets.

ORBCOMM is a solutions provider for freight companies to manage fleets and track transported assets. The company also provides Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) that truckers use to log their hours to adhere to federal safety regulations.

Since September 6th, ORBCOMM customers have reported that they cannot track their transported inventory or use Blue Tree ELD devices, forcing truckers to switch to paper logs.

As truckers can only use paper logs for eight days out of every 30, truckers were concerned that they would be unable to drive their trucks unless they received a waiver.

Customers have told BleepingComputer that ORBCOMM has not shared what was causing the outage and only recently said that they hope to restore services by September 29th.

After contacting the company, ORBCOMM confirmed they suffered a ransomware attack on September 6th that impacted the company’s FleetManager solution and Blue Tree product line.

“On September 6, 2023, ORBCOMM experienced a ransomware attack that is temporarily impacting our FleetManager platform and BT product line, which is used by some of our customers to track and monitor their transportation assets. Upon discovering the issue, industry-leading external cybersecurity experts were retained to conduct a thorough investigation,” Michelle Ferris, Vice President of Corporate Communications, told BleepingComputer.

“Importantly, all of our other systems and service offerings remain completely operational, and customers are using them as normal. We remain in contact with all impacted customers and will continue to provide timely updates as our recovery and investigation processes progress.”

Today, the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a waiver allowing truckers to continue using paper logs until the service is restored and no later than September 29th.

“Drivers using the identified ELDs may continue to record their hours of service on a paper graph grid or logging software, in accordance with § 395.8, until ORBCOMM notifies FMCSA that the malfunctioning Blue Tree ELDs have resumed service or by September 29, 2023, whichever occurs first,” explains the FMCSA.

BleepingComputer has learned that this outage has impacted some of the country’s largest freight transportation companies as they cannot track their fleets and inventory.

At this time, it is not known what ransomware operation is behind the attack, and BleepingComputer was told that due to the ongoing and confidential nature of their investigation, no further information could be shared.

Update 9/15/23: After publishing the story, BleepingComputer learned that an email was sent out to all ORBCOMM customers on the evening of September 7th about the ransomware attack.

If you have any information on this attack or other attacks, you can contact us confidentially via Signal at 646-961-3731.

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