Tag Archive for: satellite

‘Wagner’ Hackers Say They Shut Down Russian Satellite Internet Provider

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Hackers who claim to be affiliated with Russia’s Wagner group say they’ve breached a Russian satellite internet provider and forced it offline. 

The mysterious group posted their claims in a Telegram channel as the Russian satellite communications provider Dozor-Teleport became unreachable on Thursday morning.

“Confirmed: Metrics show a disruption to satellite internet provider Dozor-Teleport which supplies Russia’s FSB (Federal Security Service), Gazprom, Rosatom and military installations,” internet traffic monitor NetBlocks reported. Others, including Kentik and Internet Outage Alerts, also confirmed Dozor-Teleport remains offline.  

In a Telegram message, the hacking group claims “part of the satellite terminals” failed at Dozor-Teleport, and information was wiped from the Russian company’s servers. As proof, the group posted apparent internal documents from Dozor-Teleport, suggesting they successfully compromised the company’s network. 

The group says it also defaced four Russian websites with a message titled: “Who are the Wagners? Everyone saw them on June 24th.”

“The whole world watched our actions, listened to our every word. We showed how easily we can reach Moscow in a day without meeting any resistance,” the message adds. 

A translated version of the message over the defaced websites.

A translated version of the message on the defaced websites.

The disruption occurs days after security researchers spotted a piece of ransomware that was also promoting the Wagner group. When it infects, the ransomware will drop a note written in the Russian language that encourages users to sign up with the paramilitary organization. 

But it remains unclear if the ransomware or the breach of Dozor-Teleport are connected to the real Wagner group. So far, the official Telegram channel for the Russian military organization has yet to comment on any of the cyberattacks. 

This past weekend, Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin briefly rebelled against the Russian military by marching his troops toward Moscow while accusing the country’s defense ministry of incompetence. However, the rebellion was short-lived; Prigozhin called off his troops a day later and has since agreed to live in exile in Belarus. 

So it’s possible that…

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Moonlighter Satellite Offers In-Orbit Target for Space Hackers

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Satellite hacking is set to blast off to new frontiers when Moonlighter, billed as the “world’s first and only hacking sandbox in space,” is launched into low-Earth orbit (LEO) this August.

Moonlighter will be part of Hack-A-Sat 4, an annual space security challenge timed with DEF CON that’s hosted jointly by the US Air Force and Space Force. This is the first year that finalists can target a real satellite in orbit rather than a simulation.

Developed by the Aerospace Corp. in partnership with Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Moonlighter is meant to bolster operational security of space objects (as opposed to the data they transmit). It has a dedicated cyber payload with a firewall to isolate the onboard subsystem, along with a “fully reprogrammable payload computer that behaves like a flight computer, according to an announcement (PDF) from Aerospace Corp.

“Cybersecurity testing for space usually occurs in a laboratory or during a simulation activity on the ground,” according to the release. “Applying cyber defense theories and approaches in the space domain has been restricted by the limited availability of suitable existing vehicles in that environment.”

moonlighter hacking satellite from aerospace corp
The Moonlighter satellite will be a purpose-built target for hackers.

A working satellite designed to help improve cybersecurity for space systems by providing a real-time, real-world target for pen testers is an important step forward, given that satellite hacks are hardly theoretical. Early in 2022, the FBI and CISA warned that attacks against satellite ground-based and space-based infrastructure could become a reality. Soon after, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nation-state cyber operations targeted communications in the region via Viasat and SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.

“Starlink has resisted Russian cyberwar jamming & hacking attempts so far, but [attackers are] ramping up their efforts,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated on Twitter at the time.

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly-discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

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In-orbit satellite Moonlighter features in Hack-A-Sat 4 security challenge

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On-orbit satellite Moonlighter features in Hack-A-Sat 4 space security challenge

The annual event, which is run by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is offering the winner a cash prize of $50,000.

Hack-A-Sat, now in its fourth iteration, is described as an opportunity for hackers, researchers and space enthusiasts to focus their thinking on solving space systems cyber security challenges.

“What we are trying to do is build trust, and doing it in a way that is cool and attracts the best talent to work on real-world cyber security issues for space security,” said Steve Colenzo, a computer scientist at the AFRL Information Directorate.

“This type of competitive environment brings together the hacker and research communities to take on challenges we are facing with future capabilities in space and provide critical data and information for building out more resilient capabilities for our warfighters.”

Format

Specifically, registration was opened for the virtual qualification round of the competition, running over the weekend. The teams will have competed in a jeopardy-style format, earning points based on speed and accuracy

The top five teams from the qualification event will advance to the Hack-A-Sat 4 finals in the Aerospace Village at DEF CON 31, an annual hacker’s convention in Las Vegas, running 11-13 August 2023.

Teams will then compete in an attack/defend style capture-the-flag competition that incorporates communication with an actual in-orbit satellite named Moonlighter.

The top three ranked teams at the final event will receive $50,000 for first place, $30,000 for second place and $20,000 for third place.

Moonlighter

The Moonlighter satellite, right, was designed to advance security researcher knowledge and skills in securing space systems. It is scheduled to launch in early summer 2023 ready for the Hack-A-Sat finals.

“Moonlighter is an excellent example of industry-government collaboration and a major step forward in our quest to advance space cybersecurity,” said Col. Kenny Decker, division chief, Integration and Futures Directorate at the U.S. Space Force. “It is purpose-built to provide security researchers access and opportunities like Hack-A-Sat to gain experience with…

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How A Satellite Hack Became a Cybersecurity Wakeup Call

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How A Satellite Hack Became a Cybersecurity Wakeup Call

People around the world rely on satellites for their internet connections, credit card transactions–and even to keep track of time.  Last year, a suspected Russian-led satellite hack exposed how vulnerable they are to security breaches, from individual hackers seeking to pilfer information for profit and governments looking to weaken their adversaries.

Bloomberg reporter Katrina Manson joins this episode to discuss the fallout of the hack, and what companies and governments are doing to harden their systems against future attacks. Plus, James Pavur, a hacker and Pentagon cybersecurity expert, walks us through how satellites are compromised, and what we can do to keep our own data from being stolen. 

Mar 13, 2023

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