Re: Hack the Mars rover (fwd)

[Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>]

Forwarded message:

> Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 06:43:06 -0400 (edt)
> From: Ryan Anderson <randerso@ece.eng.wayne.edu>
> Subject: Re: Hack the Mars rover

> Somehow, I don't think that's the place to mount an attempt to take it
> over.  The prohibitive cost of getting an antenna into space where you can
> counter some of the effects of Earth's spin and keep the damn rover in
> contact all the time would be the biggest problem.

The place to attack is the up-link. This requires physical access (ie a van
with a dish and xmtr.) as well as a means to crack the encryption on the
control channels. At least one French satellite has been cracked and
de-orbited via a network attack.

> Besides, how much encryption is needed between two points if intercepting
> the traffic is expensive, the communications protocol is undocumented (as
> far as anyone outside NASA is concerned), and the actual frequency is also
> hard to find? 

The communications are not only documented but easily observable with the
correct commercialy available equipment. The frequencies are a matter of
public record, I would further bet that 5 minutes with a search engine would
bring that data to light...

    ____________________________________________________________________
   |                                                                    | 
   |            _____                             The Armadillo Group   |
   |         ,::////;::-.                           Austin, Tx. USA     |
   |        /:'///// ``::>/|/                     http:// www.ssz.com/  |
   |      .',  ||||    `/( e\                                           |
   |  -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-                         Jim Choate       |
   |                                                 ravage@ssz.com     |
   |                                                  512-451-7087      |
   |____________________________________________________________________|