High-tech Sniper Rifles Hacked
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 08/05/2015 09:06 AM [ Comments ]
High-tech sniper rifles can now be added to the long list of Things That Can Be Hacked.
Two security researchers, Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger, have demonstrated that they can hack TrackingPoint precision-guided firearms.
The vulnerability again lies in the manufacturers preset network password. Simply put, the default Wi-Fi password, which was locked by the manufacturer, allowed anyone within range to connect.
It’s this connection to Wi-Fi that turned out to be the weak point. The gun’s network has a default password that cannot be changed.
Graduates of the US Army Sniper School are expected to achieve 90% of their first round hits at 600 meters, so with those kind of statistics, the question becomes why do they even need it?
Fortunately, so far only 1,000 of the tracking rifles have been sold and the company has no plans for future sales.
Source: Avast
The vulnerability again lies in the manufacturers preset network password. Simply put, the default Wi-Fi password, which was locked by the manufacturer, allowed anyone within range to connect.
It’s this connection to Wi-Fi that turned out to be the weak point. The gun’s network has a default password that cannot be changed.
Graduates of the US Army Sniper School are expected to achieve 90% of their first round hits at 600 meters, so with those kind of statistics, the question becomes why do they even need it?
Fortunately, so far only 1,000 of the tracking rifles have been sold and the company has no plans for future sales.
Source: Avast
Comments