Users Can Hack Any DSMX Drone Using Icarus

Since the early 1900s, drones have served as a significant asset for both the government and citizens. However, many vulnerabilities were recently unveiled and abused to hack the controller system of drones. For example, a device nicknamed Icarus, exploited the susceptibility of the DSMX protocol (first wideband signal protocol created by Spektrum), concluding that anything connected to DSMX may be hijacked. Named after the character in Greek Mythology, who infamously drowned after flying too close to the sun, Icarus is a small hardware device concocted by security researcher Jonathan Andersson.

Icarus can skyjack your drone while remaining undetected and can hack your drone mid-flight by pilfering DSMX’s unencrypted key, connected from the controller to the device. Unlike other hardware devices, the box can completely transfer flight capabilities to the attacker in a short period of time. Additionally, Icarus can commandeer additional radio-controlled devices like cars, boats, and helicopters if it is connected to the DSMX network. Even though the hardware is not for sale to the public, Icarus may eventually be distributed to many large droning companies to help patch the liabilities in their system.

Any piece of technology, whether it's a plane or a car, can both benefit society and wreak havoc. Icarus, in particular, may seem like a device that can only harm individuals, but in reality, can serve as a significant device in the field. Icarus can help cover the flaws of drones, especially during dangerous situations. For example, a single 2.1 pound DJI drone can collide with the wing of a commercial airplane, causing hundreds of deaths. Additionally, many United Kingdom airports were obliged to remove fraudulent drones in December of 2018, causing a major delay for thousands of people. Icarus may be able to prevent both situations from occurring because the device can seize control of the drone so the unlicensed user cannot interfere with the aircraft.

However, Icarus can also become a hazardous piece of hardware if misused. Icarus can hijack drones mid-flight, so one could potentially crash the drone illegally, endangering the lives of the animals and civilians around the area. Ultimately, if Icarus was held accountable and only used for emergency purposes, the piece of hardware could be lifesaving making it a valuable asset to the drone community.

In order to prevent hackers from hijacking your drone, the most important step is to connect your drone to private wifi. Joining public wifi is the easiest and most common way a hacker can overtake the owner’s control system. Hackers can access the activity of every device in correlation to the wifi giving them the ability to compromise the security of your drone. However, if the drone is connected to a private network, the data will automatically be more challenging to access for illicit users.

Additionally, if the private network contains multiple tiers of encryption, the probability of a hijacking will be extremely low. Another way to protect your drone is to install a VPN (aka virtual private network) on the device used to fly the drone. Typically, phones or tablets control the drone’s flying system so installing a VPN would both keep the internet secure and prevent hackers from skyjacking your drone. After securing your wifi network, the drone must always be flown in a rural area. In order to hijack your drone, hackers need a certain amount of proximity, so flying in areas with less technology will make your drone a non-target in the field.

Over time, drones may become a powerful weapon and resource enhanced in the future. Thus, we must take advantage of devices like Icarus that both patch the drones’ security system and prevent unauthorized pilots from endangering human lives. Sources: Zorz, Zeljka, and October 27. “Icarus Takes Control of Drones by Impersonating Their Operators.” Help Net Security, 27 Oct. 2016, www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/10/27/control-drones-icarus/. Wei, Wang. “You Can Hijack Nearly Any Drone Mid-Flight Using This Tiny Gadget.” The Hacker News, 27 Oct. 2016, thehackernews.com/2016/10/how-to-hack-drone.html. Engineer, The. “7 Ways Drones Are Being Misused Nowadays.” Wonderful Engineering, 27 Jan. 2019, wonderfulengineering.com/7-ways-drones-are-being-misused-nowadays/.