Third Tanker in a Month Suspected of Cyber Attack, This Time Carrying US Gas to Europe
September 18, 2026 - 2:53 pm
LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) tanker anchored in Gas terminal gas tanks for storage. Credit: GreenOak via Shutterstock
An LNG tanker carrying American liquefied natural gas to Italy stopped short of its destination this month after its crew encountered issues with internal control systems. They reported it as a suspected cyberattack, but the exact cause remains unclear.
The Vivit Africa LNG was sailing east through the Mediterranean and into the Adriatic in early September when the failure occurred, according to Bloomberg, citing sources who requested anonymity. The ship remained off the Italian coast without unloading its cargo. On Wednesday, it changed course, heading westward towards Algeciras at the mouth of the Mediterranean; it is now near Tunisia.
This information is based on shipping data compiled by Bloomberg. The Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana loaded the cargo. The ship belongs to South Korea’s H-Line Shipping, registered in Liberia, and is on long-term charter with Vitol. Vitol declined to comment further.
The crew reported the incident to the Korean Register, the classification society that provides technical and safety advice for the vessel, early last week. The investigation continues.
H-Line and Korean Register have not responded to Bloomberg's requests for comment.
The Italian version of the story is more direct: According to Captain Roberto D’Arrigo, the Coast Guard provided assistance when the master reported "a malfunction in the systems used to monitor cargo parameters" and requested company technicians be involved. The cause could not be determined.
He stated that the Coast Guard intervened solely for navigation safety reasons, issuing an urgent notice asking other vessels to stay clear.
The ship is equipped with machinery supplied by Kongsberg Maritime, a Norwegian company providing positioning, navigation, and propulsion systems. A spokesperson, Jon Berge, acknowledged the reports but said it was "too early to draw conclusions as to the cause or any possible security implications."
This is the third incident in roughly a month. In late August, the US Coast Guard and FBI boarded two tankers off the American coast due to suspected cyberattacks, and American authorities are currently monitoring nearly 20 ships worldwide for similar threats.
Shipping has long been an easy target for cybercriminals, largely due to outdated onboard systems rather than geopolitical factors. This time, however, the cargo is noteworthy: The ship carrying American gas to a European terminal turned around and sailed back, leaving no clear explanation in its wake.
Written by: Ana-Maria Stanciuc Editor-in-Chief, TNW