German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems discovered a cyberattack in late October that reportedly compromised its software update infrastructure, prompting the Bundeswehr to temporarily ground the company’s unmanned aircraft.
In a Nov. 12 statement, the company said it had uncovered an active intrusion by hostile actors. The threat was subsequently contained by its IT and security teams in cooperation with authorities.
After gaining access to the company’s update server, the attackers distributed a malicious update for Quantum Systems’ QBase ground-control and mission-planning software, the Financial Times reported.
The precautionary grounding also prevented the company from participating in a recent German military exercise, according to the report.
Quantum Systems’ statement said there was now “no risk in operating Quantum Systems’ unmanned systems” for customers or operators. The incident remains under investigation.
The company’s drones have since resumed operations with the Bundeswehr, Reuters reported on Nov. 13. The German military was reportedly the only customer to suspend operations, while the company’s fleet continued operating normally elsewhere.
Quantum Systems is a major supplier of reconnaissance drones to Ukraine and has expanded its manufacturing presence in the country, including through joint ventures developing attack drones, interceptors, and unmanned ground vehicles. It is unclear whether its Ukrainian operations were affected by the cyberattack.
The incident comes amid a series of cyberattacks and suspected sabotage operations targeting European defence manufacturers and infrastructure supporting Ukraine. Several have been linked to Russian intelligence services.
In August, a suspected Russian cyberespionage group tracked as UNC7005 sent targeted phishing emails to individuals and organisations connected to Europe’s defence industry, according to a Google Threat Intelligence report. The attackers impersonated the Finnish Operations Center, an organisation supporting Finnish defence and security companies.
That same month, Estonian UGV-maker Milrem Robotics, whose systems are used by Ukrainian forces, was targeted in an arson attack attributed to Russian intelligence services.
In September, arsonists targeted equipment powering a Starlink ground station in Wola Krobowska, Poland. Warsaw has attributed the attack to Moscow.
Quantum Systems said the European defence industry has faced persistent cyber threats for years, particularly companies supporting Ukraine. The manufacturer said it had established mitigation measures to protect its systems and customers.
