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Want to See the Homemade Spy Drone That Can Hack Phone Calls?

Aug. 4, 2011 3:54pm

Unmanned Aerial vehicles may be moving from far-off battlefields to the home front sooner than you think.Homemade WASP Spy Drone Can Hack or Intercept Signals And considering one just unveiled, you might want to start worrying.

Wired is reporting on the WASP — Wireless Aerial Surveillance Platform — a spy drone created by two security consultants with about $6,000 and a military surplus FMQ-117B target drone. Mike Tassey and Rick Perkins demonstrated the WASP yesterday at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The capabilities of the clandestine mini-plane are breathtaking, according to Wired, comprising a:

“Personal remote-controlled spy plane, complete with WiFi and hacking tools, such as an IMSI catcher and antenna to spoof a GSM cell tower and intercept calls, as well as a network sniffing tool and a dictionary of 340 million words for brute-forcing network passwords.”

You can watch a test flight from May below:

At a weight of only 14 pounds and six feet in length, the drone is much smaller than most military counterparts, making it even more suitable for use in heavily populated areas. While FAA regulations mandate that the plane must fly below 400 feet and remain within line of site, the drone is quiet enough even at that restricted altitude to hover overhead and collect digital data.

On the technical expertise required to build and operate the WASP, Perkins said, “You don’t need a PhD from MIT to do this.” Perkins and Tassey created the drone to show others that it could be done, and to promote the possible positive uses of the technology as well as prepare the public for nefarious use in the future as well.

Search and rescue attempts, disaster relief, and, of course, law enforcement surveillance could utilize a drone like the WASP. However, it seems only a matter of time before criminals and terrorists turn to this technology to steal data, jam communications, or conduct reconnaissance for attacks. In a well-publicized example, the Terrorist group Hezbollah back in 2006 apparently rammed an explosives-laden drone into an Israeli warship.

As this technology continues to evolve, the public learns more, and the parts become less expensive, there is a good chance you might see something like this flying over your house one day soon.

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Comments (90)

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  • vtxphantom
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 5:02pm

    Time to pull my ground to air model rockets out the box. If those don’t work I have the 12 gauge. This could be fun!

    Report this comment

    vtxphantom  
  • yanki161
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:57pm

    You think THIS is scary, you should see this:

    http://video.designworldonline.com:80/video/vid=0f7d1e1689b1472a83149c3c5d822235

    I guess it all depends on who has it and against whom it is used.

    Report this comment

    yanki161  
    • affinnity
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 5:13pm

      Interesting video.
      Thanks for the link.

      Report this comment

      affinnity  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:33pm

      .
      Here, let me show you my “Drone Jammer”
      I bought on the internet.
      Zoom–splat.

      Report this comment

      Secret Squirrel  
    • truth-seeker2020
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 7:01pm

      One triangulated “electromagnetic pulse” aka EMP blast may bring all MAV down.

      Report this comment

      truth-seeker2020  
    • Perspective
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 8:58pm

      That is a sweet video and it’s even better because I live about a mile from the AFRL. I was in Meijers in teh RC section and you can buy a drone that takes still pictures or video and its only about 6 or 7 inches tall. I think it was like $60 or so.

      Report this comment

      Perspective  
    • OLDBIKEFIXER
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 7:42am

      If they were even in the experimental stage, the video would have been made using an actual aircraft, and not by a computer-generated cartoon.

      There have been radio-controlled airplanes with wingspans as small as 8 inches available to hobbyists for over a decade. These most likely will be what is used to develop the surveillance devices discussed in this article. However, their biggest drawback is their short flight times, caused by their size, which dictates that only light-weight, small, battery-powered motors, or internal-combustion engines can be used. Small size equals small load carrying capacity.

      Of course, as battery technology advances, I’m sure we’ll see these aircraft develop into something that should be monitored.

      Report this comment

      OLDBIKEFIXER  
    • billsweb
      Posted on August 22, 2012 at 7:48pm

      I clicked on it and got “File Not Found “

      Report this comment

      billsweb  
  • 70S_KIDS_FIGHTING_SOCIALISM
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:47pm

    This is what we got with the electronics college helicopter contest. There using it against us. Some of us in electronics that headed some of those college programs could make a transmitter to drop that out of the sky like a rock.

    Report this comment

    70S_KIDS_FIGHTING_SOCIALISM  
  • AIDANMAN
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:44pm

    PLEASE… i fly radio contol airplanes… this is easy to do .. off the shelf stuff….. the military stuff is smaller… how do we know? they demonstrate it or is developed be people we fly with… and it won’t be yellow when it spying on you.

    Report this comment

    AIDANMAN  
    • tower7femacamp
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:58pm

      spying can work both ways
      just think if you heard John Bohner talking with Harry Reed about a
      NWO debt deal to funnel tax revenue to the Private Federal Reserve ?

      Report this comment

      tower7femacamp  
    • weeblewacker1
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 12:11pm

      same here,been flying and building r/c planes for a long time! i built a “spy-cam” plane a couple of years ago for less then 200 bucks from parts i got on ebay.with the new electric motors and long-life li-po batteries,getting cheaper and cheaper,you soon be able to make one for under a 100. as a side note to you aidanman, what are ya working on now? i am in the process of putting together a eclectic powered giant-scale p-51D. w.s. is around 9 feet.going to be a winter project.

      Report this comment

      weeblewacker1  
  • 4smohrs
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:43pm

    birdshot would usually wipe out a wasp nest, 00 Buckshot should take care of this wasp.

    Report this comment

    4smohrs  
  • Wonko_the_Sane
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:37pm

    They could at least try to get their facts correct. Whats the deal Trools? S00r0s tells u what to say but your too dumb to actually reasearch and get the correct facts. I mean DANG at least try to spin a fact.

    Report this comment

    Wonko_the_Sane  
  • dcwu
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:32pm

    So you hack my phone. You’re going to get real sleepy. Come on by instead. I will feed you, give you a beer, and you can get the skinny one-on-one. I’ll even talk about things you’re interested in. And, if it is as bad as I think for you, I have coffee and even a guest bedroom you’re welcome to until you recover.

    Report this comment

    dcwu  
  • Thighmaster
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:28pm

    Criminals and terrorists? You think our government won’t or isn’t already using this? May we call this AirGate?

    Report this comment

    Thighmaster  
  • ILinch4U
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:26pm

    Land lines are starting to look more inviting all of a sudden.

    Report this comment

    ILinch4U  
  • Psychosis
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:19pm

    i was getting bored with my clay pigeons always flying in a straight line . its going to be fun shooting at a moving target :)

    400 ft? i could drop it with my paintball gun lol

    Report this comment

    Psychosis  
  • Stepaheaded
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:19pm

    What is the daily bag limit? Do you need a tag to bag one of these drones.

    Report this comment

    Stepaheaded  
  • Seneca264
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:18pm

    I am sure that there are people that are developing model rockets with the ability to home in on and knock these “drones” out of the sky. This does not require explosives, just kinetics. Actually the stuff to do this is already available off the shelf. Model rocket engines can easily propel a rocket to well over 10,000 feet without any problem. Actually it would relatively easy to modify a large scale model rocket with homing circuitry and control vane deflection controls. Trust me, it will render all of this technology useless overnight regardless of who is sending this spy crap up over our houses.

    Report this comment

    Seneca264  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:29pm

      Don’t get caught.

      The only thing that makes model rocketry, especially the BIG model rockets, legal is that they have no guidance capability at all. Johnny Law finds out you have model rockets with servo actuated fins, an Arduino, a ZigBee, and a nose-cone cam, and they have a voluminous amount of arms restrictions to throw at you.

      Report this comment

      Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • sWampy
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 7:01pm

      It’s illegal to put a guidance system on a rocket even if it doesn’t have explosive.

      Report this comment

      sWampy  
    • MrJones
      Posted on August 5, 2011 at 3:45am

      SENECA, you’re pretty damn ignorant when it comes to rocketry. There exists nowhere on Earth a “model” rocket engine that will “easily” propel a rocket to 10K feet. The smallest motor that currently will send an extremely light-weight carbon fiber rocket to 10K is an H motor – which is considered high power – which requires high power certification to fly. FYI, you can’t purchase these at Wal-Mart.
      http://www.tripoli.org/Membership/ArchivedContestsandRecords/RecordHolders/SingleMotorRecordHolders/tabid/125/Default.aspx
      Modifying any hobby rocket kit to successfully aquire and strike an object the size of a hummingbird in flight would be anything but “relatively easy”. Relatively easy for God perhaps. In fact, it would be so fantastically difficult to do so that it could be considered practically impossible. Military seek-and-destroy missile systems cost millions of dollars and thousands of engineering man hours to develop. Your comment is both stupid and ignorant.

      Report this comment

      MrJones  
  • Ron_WA
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:13pm

    What you citizens need to understand is that the federal govt. has had this capability for well over two decades but thanks to the 4th Amendment they couldn’t use it – now under free enterprise & capitalism your wife/.ex-wife, boss or nosey neighbor can easily track your every movement (not an exaggeration I know of cases where it has already been done).

    Report this comment

    Ron_WA  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:17pm

      Not to mention any dingbat terrorist cells in America who have a small budget and want to make a big impact, via electronic theft and such.

      Report this comment

      Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:50pm

      40 years ago it was said anything the government revealed or let leak out was already obsolete. Same thing today. Now they have invisibility cloaks where their agents can walk in your house, take all your guns, slap your wife, kick your dog and arrest you before you even see them. Almost anything man can imagine man can do, for good or evil. I plan on buying one of those invisibility cloaks as soon as one is put up for auction on Ebay. If you think I’m full of BS just watch this flick. The part I’m specifically pointing to is at 2:50 into it. I want one of these! You can keep you toy airplain.

      Report this comment

      Captain Crunch  
  • sWampy
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:10pm

    Now this is hacking, calling someone’s voice mail punching 1234 isn’t.

    Report this comment

    sWampy  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:08pm

    Chances are that Obama is already using the technology to find Tea Party members after all they are terrorists to them. We don’t need the technology here at the Blaze to see what losers the others are. All we have to do is look at the markets that are dropping like lead balloons. All Obama can do is still blame Bush for it.

    Report this comment

    heavyduty  
    • youshuthehellup
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:17pm

      Agree 100%

      Report this comment

      youshuthehellup  
    • drphil69
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 5:21pm

      I am a Tea Party Terrorist and proud of it! Some of my terrorist agenda includes emailing and calling my representatives, speaking with them in person, and going to Washington, DC with a sign that says “Taxed Enough Already.” I even write Letters to the Editor!!

      I only wish all terrorists had similar agendas. Obama’s buddy Bill Ayers certainly did not use our Tea Party Terrorist tactics.

      Report this comment

      drphil69  
  • Tom
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:08pm

    Your Name reflects your ignorance.Obama just want to tax this guy more because he has a neater toy then the welfare brothers down the street. its all about fairness

    Report this comment

    Tom  
  • youshuthehellup
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:07pm

    i want one of those to fly over obama and pelosi’s secret behind door mtngs! lol

    Report this comment

    youshuthehellup  
  • spirited
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:07pm

    The Matrix

    >is coming

    Report this comment

    spirited  
  • texasfarmer
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:07pm

    I love flying scale aircraft. Let me have a shot at it!

    Report this comment

    texasfarmer  
  • popeye76
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:07pm

    i blame obama. clearly he commissioned this thing to listen into my personal calls.

    Report this comment

    popeye76  
    • Attention2Detail
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:25pm

      In case you haven’t heard, the government has been listening in on every phone call anyone makes since the Clinton administration. More accurately, government computers have been listening to phone calls, reading e-mails and monitoring internet traffic. Do you really think they need an easily detectable and easily foiled spy drone?

      Report this comment

      Attention2Detail  
  • caexpat
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:03pm

    400Ft …..22 no problem!

    Report this comment

    caexpat  
  • OneofMany
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:02pm

    Great, Hezbolla and Hamas will now be ordering several 100 of them, asking, what is it’s payload? How about guys start working on spy BLOCKING now…

    Report this comment

    OneofMany  
  • AlansTigg
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:02pm

    well now there’s a great idea

    Report this comment

    AlansTigg  
  • olddog
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:01pm

    Stock Market Carshing, while the folks at the Blaze take a nap, so much for news..

    Report this comment

    olddog  
    • Attention2Detail
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:16pm

      Hey OLDDOG, did you notice the story on the top of the homepage about the stock market crash? I guess you just clicked on the wrong link. Go back to reading the newspaper DUMBA$$ !!!

      Report this comment

      Attention2Detail  
    • 9stuff
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:27pm

      whats “carshing”?

      Report this comment

      9stuff  
    • chips1
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 7:21pm

      People don’t stay glued to the Blaze. I listen to SIRIUS radio in my truck while I went to buy more silver. If it hits the fan in 15 days, I’m covered. It’s getting nasty out there. Getting payed under the table isn’t so bad.

      Report this comment

      chips1  
  • Select Palin for GOP 2012 to Reelect Obama!
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:00pm

    Chances are excellent that someone on The Blaze will blame Obama for this technology. yada yada yada

    Report this comment

    Select Palin for GOP 2012 to Reelect Obama!  
    • Phoenixsoulfire
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:12pm

      a hole

      Report this comment

      Phoenixsoulfire  
    • vennoye
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:16pm

      New here, Select? Looks like more Obama voters lost their jobs and are now blogging in the basements!!

      Report this comment

      vennoye  
    • Brizz
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:19pm

      @I.GASPAR
      Very funny.

      Report this comment

      Brizz  
    • let us prey
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:22pm

      There was a record number of new trolls here yesterday. Looks like one more today. No originality either.
      a hole

      Report this comment

      let us prey  
    • Wonko_the_Sane
      Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:32pm

      @ VENNOY, No Obama has just started hiring his basement, mommy’s house, dwelling trolls early for the election season. How much do all you get paid to sit in mommy’s basement in your undies eating chetos and trying to disrupt things. I can sit here and spread disinformation and lies all day for the right money but I ain’t doing it for th Dimms. I don’t even need talking points. YA MORONS!

      Report this comment

      Wonko_the_Sane  
  • chazman
    Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:40pm

    Hey, I want one of those!

    Report this comment

    chazman  
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