GPS guided munitions, cars , trucks ...

[dieseltaylor]

It is wonderful how something becomes so mainstream but is insecure.

http://www.automotivedesignline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210605589&cid=NL_autodl

Researchers highlight GPS vulnerability

By Drew Wilson

Courtesy of EE Times Europe

(09/30/2008 8:14 AM EDT)

BERLIN — A group of Virginia Tech and Cornell University researchers have underlined a vulnerability in GPS navigation by "spoofing" GPS receivers. "Spoofing" is a term used in the radar community for the transmission of fake GPS signals that receivers accept as authentic ones.

The researchers modified equipment to send out a false signal, which a navigation device took for the real thing.

By demonstrating the vulnerability of receivers to spoofing, the researchers believe that they can help devise methods to guard against such attacks.

"Our goal is to inspire people who design GPS hardware to think about ways to make it so the kinds of things we're showing can be overcome," said Mark Psiaki, Cornell professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Handheld GPS receivers are popular for their usefulness in navigating unfamiliar highways or backpacking into wilderness areas. But GPS is also embedded in the world's technological fabric. Such large commercial enterprises as utility companies and financial institutions have made GPS an essential part of their operations.

"GPS is woven into our technology infrastructure, just like the power grid or the water system," said Paul Kintner, electrical and computer engineering professor and director of the Cornell GPS Laboratory. "If it were attacked, there would be a serious impact."

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[John Kettler]

dieseltaylor,

Such capability has been available since at least the last Iraq invasion, if not earlier, and the U.S. has instituted a series of countermeasures in response to that very real threat to military systems, especially precision guidance of weapons. There is the real possibility of messing with the all but ubiquitous civilian receivers, and it could get really exciting when things like robotic trucks start to hit the streets if people mess with those, muck with process controls, etc.

Regards,

John Kettler

[JonS]

More detail here(?):

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/09/gps_spoofing.html

[dieseltaylor]

Coo more interesting than I first thought - sorry I shjould have said complicated!

[RSColonel_131st]

The military GPS signal is encrypted and relies on specialized access to hardware components as well as diplomatic clearances to become an end user of that system.

Jamming that signal (overpowering the satellite signal strength) is obviously possible, but spoofing/faking that signal should not be, unless you just so happened to stumble about some of the best kept NATO keys.

For civilian appliances however this is of course a massive potential for disaster. GPS is everywhere these days... even civilian air traffic is now going to GPS both for En-Route and soon also for Final Approach Guidance. Now spoofing these signals might actually result in crashed planes.

I think one possible solution would be to have the limited number of GPS Sats each also transmit a key or authentication, which would be known to commercial GPS recivers, but can only not be read directly out of reciver or the sat signal.