Year – 2022

Estimated Economic Losses – Not publicly disclosed (The attack primarily disrupted satellite communications and broadband services across Europe rather than causing direct financial losses.)

Systems Affected – Thousands of Viasat KA-SAT satellite broadband modems were rendered inoperable across multiple European countries, disrupting internet connectivity for government agencies, businesses, critical infrastructure, and users.

Type of Attack – Satellite Communications Cyberattack | Supply Chain Attack | Destructive Wiper Malware

Suspected Group / Organization – Widely attributed by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other allies to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency. Russia has denied responsibility.

Detailed Working
Attackers compromised a trusted network management system used for the KA-SAT satellite network and deployed destructive commands to customer modems. The malware erased critical modem data, rendering thousands of devices inoperable and disrupting satellite internet services. The attack caused widespread communication outages across Europe, including impacts on critical infrastructure.

Forensic Investigations
Investigators analyzed network logs, modem firmware, malware artifacts, and management systems to determine the attack method. The investigation identified unauthorized access to the satellite management network and destructive commands that disabled thousands of satellite modems.