Particle.news
Download on the App Store
13 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

Unauthorized Wi‑Fi Network Discovered on Delta Flight From Las Vegas to Atlanta

The airline says crew shut off passenger Wi‑Fi and federal agencies are investigating whether the rogue hotspot was a malicious spoof or a security test.

Image
A Wi-Fi and fasten seat belts sign illuminated on a Delta Air Lines plane. (Image: Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Image
Delta Air Lines' new A220-100 planes have 109 seats and a state-of-the-art interior featuring seatback screens and the widest seats of any plane this size. The A220's main cabin seats measure 18.6 inches in width and have a 4-inch recline.

Overview

  • Delta flight 591, carrying 199 passengers, experienced an unauthorized network during a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Monday and the cabin crew turned off the aircraft’s passenger Wi‑Fi for about 30 minutes.
  • Delta says its initial review found no evidence of a hack to aircraft systems and that flight safety was never in question while the airline works with federal law enforcement and aviation regulators.
  • Aircraft communications (ACARS) captured messages from the crew reporting a network named “Delta WiFi Fast” and noting several passengers had attended recent cybersecurity conferences in Las Vegas.
  • News reports and passenger posts describe tactics called an “evil twin” and deauthentication attacks that can clone a legitimate SSID or force devices off a real network to push a fake login page, but claims that credentials were stolen or that arrests were made remain unverified.
  • Investigators from the FAA and FBI are reviewing the incident and possible legal violations such as interfering with wireless service or phishing, and the outcome will determine whether the event was malicious, reckless testing, or criminal.