Elon Musk’s Starlink Hacked as Researcher Warns of its Vulnerability
- Researchers recently said that Elon Musk’s Starlink is very vulnerable to attackers who could exploit its outer router
- According to Lennert Wouters, he spent $25 dollars to build a homemade modchip that could hack into Starlinks internet service
- The revelation has created concern as about 400,000 users are currently on Starlink’s network, including the Ukrainian military
A security researcher, Lennert Wouters said he spent just $25, about N16,500 to build a device that could hack into Elon Musk’s much touted Starlink satellite internet service.
According to Wouters in a press statement, the availability of its User Terminals exposes them to hardware hackers and opens the door for an attacker to freely explore the network.
Source: UGC
Device used to hack Starlink available in the market
There was no immediate response from Starlinks.
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Business Insider stated that another researcher based at a Belgian university, KU Leuven showed the security breakdown at a computer security conference in Las Vegas last week.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, Leuven showed attendees a modchip, also known as a homemade circuit board which he built to hack into Starlink, according to a report by Wired. The device was designed using parts that could easily be bought anywhere for $25 and can be attached directly to a Starlink dish.
The modchip would let hackers to run a code on the Starlink devices and access the entire network and parts of the system that were previously inaccessible, according to Wouters in the press statement. He wanted his modchip made available to the public on GitHub, an internet hosting service for software developers.
Wouters experimented with the hack as a part of SpaceX’s programme which pays researchers to find bugs in Starlink’s service. The company congratulated Wouters for the discovery and it has given an update to its software.
Starlink still vulnerable
Wouters said Starlink will remain weal to the hack until SpaceX creates a new version of the main chip in the terminals.
A Starlink hack could easily become a matter of international security. Earlier this year, Ukraine’s military began using its terminal after Russia hacked into the country’s former provider. On Monday, August 8, 2022, the US Air Force announced its plans to use Starlink.
About 400,000 subscribers use Starlink across the world.
Firm gets approval to operate in Nigeria
The firm has a network of over 2,500 satellites in Earth’s lower orbit. The service is created to deliver high-speed internet of up to 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps to customers in rural areas.
In May this year, Elon Musk announced that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given a license to Starlink to operate in Nigeria.
Elon Musk announced via tweet that the satellite company also got approvals in Mozambique and the Philippines.
Many people are hoping that the arrival of the company’s satellite internet service will disrupt internet service in Nigeria and drastically crash the price of internet service in the country.
Optimism swirls around Elon Musk’s Starlink approval in Nigeria, but experts doubt it
Legit.ng reported that the approval of Starlink, owned by Billionaire businessman, Elon Musk by Nigerian authorities has been hailed as groundbreaking and a great opportunity for businesses in the country.
Starlink will bring a different kind of internet connectivity into Nigeria, satellite internet, free from interruptions from the elements that usually plague broadband internet in Nigeria.
Elon Musk’s Starlink is a huge relief to people around the world with limited access to the internet, especially rural dwellers.
Source: Legit.ng
