Elon Musk Starlink system is breached by a researcher using a $25 homemade gadget
Using a $25 home-made device, a cyber-security researcher has compromised the Elon Musk-operated Starlink satellite-based internet system.
Sunday, August 14, 2022 | Chimniii Desk
A $25 home-made device was used by a cyber-security researcher to break into the Elon Musk-operated Starlink satellite-based internet network.
The first hacking of Starlink user terminals or satellite dishes that are installed in homes and buildings was made public by Belgian security researcher Lennert Wouters.
Wouters used a home-made circuit board, or modchip, that cost about $25 to manufacture to successfully breach the Starlink internet system at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, according to Wired.
In order to breach the dish and investigate the Starlink network, Wouters used a voltage fault injection attack on a Starlink User Terminal (UT).
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According to a tweet previewing the presentation that he claimed was delivered through a rooted Starlink UT, he created the modchip using inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and was able to use it to gain root access "by glitching the Starlink UT security operations centre bootrom."
"We are able to run arbitrary code thanks to our attack, which compromises the Starlink UT in an unrecoverable way. To freely explore the Starlink network, one must be able to gain root access on the Starlink UT "based on the security analyst.
Wouters informed SpaceX about the flaw via its bug bounty programme.
In order to deliver internet in remote areas, Musk's Starlink has launched more than 3,000 tiny satellites into orbit since 2018. SpaceX's constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites is called Starlink.
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The satellites and gateways that transfer connections up to the satellites make up the other two of the system's three essential parts, together with Starlink's UT.
In May, Musk said that Russia was intensifying its efforts to disrupt the Starlink internet service in Ukraine.
He mentioned that up to this point, Starlink had prevented any cyberattacks from Russia.
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