US drones hacked by Iraqi insurgents
source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/17/skygrabber-american-drones-hacked
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- bansheewail
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-$26 (£16) software let militants view potential targets
-American official says flaw was identified and fixed
One of America's most sophisticated weapons in the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the unmanned drone, has been successfully penetrated by insurgents using software available on the internet for $26 (£16).
Insurgents in Iraq intercepted live video feeds from the drones being relayed back to a US controller and revealing potential targets. A US official said the flaw was identified and fixed in the past 12 months.
The problem only came to light after the US found many hours' worth of videotaped recordings on militant laptops late last year and earlier this year.
The insurgents used software programmes such as Skygrabber, developed by a Russian company and originally intended to download music and videos from the internet.
The drones have become one of the most important parts of the US armoury. Their use has increased sixfold over the past five years. They are able to hover over suspect sites and launch missiles against alleged militants in Iraq and alleged al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Afghanistan and the Pakistan border region.
The potential problem with the hacking was that insurgents, if they knew the locations being targeted, would be able to take evasive action.
The Pentagon had been aware of the problem for many years, but had assumed the insurgents would not have the technical knowledge to intercept the feeds.
-American official says flaw was identified and fixed
One of America's most sophisticated weapons in the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the unmanned drone, has been successfully penetrated by insurgents using software available on the internet for $26 (£16).
Insurgents in Iraq intercepted live video feeds from the drones being relayed back to a US controller and revealing potential targets. A US official said the flaw was identified and fixed in the past 12 months.
The problem only came to light after the US found many hours' worth of videotaped recordings on militant laptops late last year and earlier this year.
The insurgents used software programmes such as Skygrabber, developed by a Russian company and originally intended to download music and videos from the internet.
The drones have become one of the most important parts of the US armoury. Their use has increased sixfold over the past five years. They are able to hover over suspect sites and launch missiles against alleged militants in Iraq and alleged al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Afghanistan and the Pakistan border region.
The potential problem with the hacking was that insurgents, if they knew the locations being targeted, would be able to take evasive action.
The Pentagon had been aware of the problem for many years, but had assumed the insurgents would not have the technical knowledge to intercept the feeds.
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- tags:
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sk8bs55
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our very own technology being used against us. "they" aren't dumb. duh.
- 3 years ago
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sk8bs55
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bansheewail
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It's so easy, a caveman could do it!
- 3 years ago
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bansheewail
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echoz
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bansheewail:
lol =D
- 3 years ago
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echoz
