Iraqi resistance hacks into US drones

[Formaldehyde]

Hitting the egg nogg again?

“We noticed a trend when going after these guys; that sometimes they seemed to have better early warning” of U.S. actions, said the officer briefed on the raid. “We went and did a raid on one of their safe houses and found all of this equipment that was highly technical, highly sophisticated. It was more sophisticated than any other equipment we’d seen Iraqi insurgents use.”

 

[GoodGame]

Sounds just like a long distance version of "I know that you know, that we know". I'd go with Ecofarm's reasoning too. And consider that if the drones are backed up in a few seconds by some air-based power, and the drones don't broadcast, but only receive, until they reach their destination, it's not necessarily a coup for insurgent. They'll just know they're on candid camera right before the ordinance strikes them.

 

[Patroklos]

If they happen to be within 50 yards of a local army squad recieving a transmission as well.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

I bet they hired a french tech expert.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

Here is an interesting article from CNN (via Wallstreet Journal) on regarding who was responsible for creating this cheap software.

The inexpensive software, created by a Russian company called SkyGrabber, is downloadable off the Internet. It allows users to take advantage of unprotected communication links in some of the UAVs.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/17/drone.video.hacked/index.html

Notice that the report said "unprotected" communication link in "some" of the UAVs.

 

[MobBoss]

I wonder if Apple 'has an app for that'?