News and Analysis

The day after DEF CON 34 wound up in Las Vegas this week, a passenger on a Delta flight out of the city apparently jammed the in-flight Wi-Fi.According to reports, on the on the Vegas-to-Atlanta flight on Monday, the scammer broadcast a rogue network named ‘Delta WiFi Fast’, designed to look like the airline’s service, in an apparent phishing attempt.The incident was spotted by the crew, with one Instagram user posting Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) messages from the plane’s crew to ground staff. “HEY ALERT CORP SECURITY WE HAVE A PAX [passenger] ON THAT HAS CREATED A SCAM WIFI CALLED DELTA WIFI FAST WE BELIEVE THEY ARE TRYING TO SCAM THE OTH PAX,” one message reads, with another highlighting the presence of “A BUNCH OF PAX THAT WERE AT A CYBER CONFERENCE IN LAS”. According to one person who claims to have been present when the plane landed, the fake hotspot served up a phishing landing page designed to harvest passengers’ personal credentials and Google login data.”Upon docking at Gate A18, federal authorities and airport police immediately boarded the aircraft to hold the cabin, question the suspects, and seize the broadcasting hardware,” they said. The attacker is believed to have used a portable wireless device that can broadcast fake networks and carry out deauthorization attacks – the Pineapple Wi-Fi module has been mentioned, but not confirmed. This can be used to send fake management frames that tell devices to drop off a legitimate wireless network – making them then susceptible to joining the fake one. “That creates an opening for credential theft or phishing. None of that means the aircraft itself was in danger. The risk is much more personal and quieter. Travelers may expose passwords or sensitive account information without realizing anything is wrong,” said Ross Filipek, CISO at Corsica Technologies.”Incidents like this are a reminder that convenience can create trust very quickly. Public Wi-Fi depends on users recognizing the right network. Attackers can take advantage when that trust gets misplaced.”While the true motive of the attacker remains unclear, Wi-Fi blocking can be a federal crime which carries a potential jail sentence.Delta hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment from ITPro. However, the airline confirmed to CBS News Atlanta that the incident did indeed take place.”Safety of flight was never in question, and no aircraft operating systems were affected. We are fully investigating to gather a complete set of facts, which will take time,” a spokesperson said. “We will partner with federal law enforcement and aviation regulators to ensure the incident is thoroughly investigated. We thank our crew for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA