FCC: Cybercriminals Hijack Radio Streams in the USA
Cyberattacks on broadcasters led to the transmission of fake emergency alerts and obscenities. The responsible authority is holding broadcasters accountable.
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Cyberattacks on various US broadcasters have recently led to the broadcast of obscene material and the misuse of the US emergency alert system, the Emergency Alert System (EAS). This was announced by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday in a public notice, in which it reminded broadcasters of their responsibility to ensure the security of their broadcast networks and systems.
"It appears that these recent hacker attacks were caused by a compromised Studio-to-Transmitter Link (STL)," the authority writes. STL is the transmission equipment that transmits program content from the studio to remote transmitters. The attackers often gain access to inadequately secured devices from the Swiss network audio company Barix and reconfigure them to receive audio data controlled by the attackers instead of the broadcast programs, according to the FCC. "Affected broadcasters transmit an audio stream inserted by the attacker, which contains a real or simulated attention signal and EAS tones, as well as obscene language and other inappropriate material." The attention signal is a concise tone that precedes official announcements about tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other emergencies.
Radio Streams in Texas and Virginia Hijacked
The FCC notice refers to recent reports of radio streams in the US states of Texas and Virginia that have been hijacked. According to the reports, radio stations using Barix's default credentials have been victims of audio feed hijacking "for decades," according to a report by the online portal Radio Insight. For example, cybercriminals recently began looping fake EAS tones, a racist country song, and an advertisement to follow them on social media during the broadcast of an NFL game. Many of the affected broadcasters are hacked because their IP addresses are listed in the Shodan database, it says.
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In another case, the backup audio signal of a Virginia-based broadcaster was hijacked, with "offensive material" being broadcast in the Richmond area. The operators reported the incident to the FCC.
In its letter, the authority now urges broadcasters, especially those using Barix devices, to take basic security precautions. These include regular software updates, changing default passwords, and using VPNs. Broadcasters who suspect unauthorized access to their systems are strongly advised to contact the FCC.
(akn)
