What's being described as an "IT malfunction" has paralyzed Volkswagen Group's central infrastructure, forcing the automaker to suspend production at several plants on Wednesday. 

German business newspaper Handelsblatt spoke with a Volkswagen spokesman who said an "IT disruption of network components at the Wolfsburg location" was detected around 12:30 pm local time. 

The network disruption has led to production lines at the main auto plant in Wolfsburg, as well as in Emden, Osnabrück, and Zwickau, to halt operations.  

"Nothing is currently working in the offices at the Wolfsburg headquarters either. The extent of the disruption is not yet entirely clear," Handelsblatt said. 

The newspaper noted, "An attack from outside is considered unlikely." However, nothing is confirmed amid a spate of recent cyberattacks across the Western world (remember Vegas a few weeks ago). 

How long until Russia is blamed? 

*Developing...