Security News
Cybersecurity researchers on Thursday revealed security issues in the Android app developed by Chinese drone-maker Da Jiang Innovations that comes with an auto-update mechanism that bypasses Google Play Store and could be used to install malicious applications and transmit sensitive personal information to DJI's servers. "Given the wide permissions required by DJI GO 4 - contacts, microphone, camera, location, storage, change network connectivity - the DJI or Weibo Chinese servers have almost full control over the user's phone."
Cybersecurity researchers on Thursday revealed security issues in the Android app developed by Chinese drone-maker Da Jiang Innovations that comes with an auto-update mechanism that bypasses Google Play Store and could be used to install malicious applications and transmit sensitive personal information to DJI's servers. "Given the wide permissions required by DJI GO 4 - contacts, microphone, camera, location, storage, change network connectivity - the DJI or Weibo Chinese servers have almost full control over the user's phone."
The privacy issues were discovered in the DJI GO 4 application, which is the complementary app used to control DJI drones. Researchers with Synacktiv found several concerning privacy issues,, which were then independently confirmed by researchers with GRIMM. "The DJI GO 4 application contains several suspicious features as well as a number of anti-analysis techniques, not found in other applications using the same SDKs," according to researchers with GRIMM, in a Thursday post.
Chinese drone giant Da Jiang Innovations on Thursday responded to the disclosure of security issues discovered by researchers in one of its Android applications. DJI has always denied these accusations and it has pointed to analysis conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Booz Allen Hamilton, which shows that there is no evidence the company's government and professional drones send user data to DJI, China or other third parties.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have determined how to pinpoint the location of a drone operator who may be operating maliciously or harmfully near airports or protected airspace by analyzing the flight path of the drone. "Currently, drone operators are located using RF techniques and require sensors around the flight area which can then be triangulated," says lead researcher Eliyahu Mashhadi, a BGU computer science student.
Samsung Electronics announced a successful demonstration of its new drone-based antenna configuration measurement solution for 4G and 5G networks in the company's campus. The deep learning-based artificial intelligence solution instantly verified the rotation and tilt of the antennas, so that the engineers could determine if the antennas were installed correctly at predefined optimal angles.
Following weeks of heated protests in American cities - and criticism of law enforcement's use of force, surveillance, and drone aircraft in the skies above - the US government has belatedly asked the public what it thinks. The US Department of Homeland Security wants your comments on the use of drones by police and other first responders by July 9.
Drone detection company Dedrone has partnered with BlackBerry to build an instant notification system for unauthorized drone activity in sensitive airspace. AtHoc is designed to be integrated into other platforms through its APIs and SDK, which BlackBerry said Dedrone has done to create "Automated, highly targeted alerts based on a range of criteria, including flight zones, drone behavior, and user groups for a more efficient, focused response to the presence of an unauthorized drone."
Remote-control drones are to be used to deliver coronavirus testing kits to a remote Scottish hospital - and they're being flown outside of the operators' direct line of sight. Backed by the local NHS trust, drone firm Skyports will fly drones between the Isle of Mull and Oban, the closest town on the Scottish mainland.
Remote-control drones are to be used to deliver coronavirus testing kits to a remote Scottish hospital - and they're being flown outside of the operators' direct line of sight. Backed by the local NHS trust, drone firm Skyports will fly drones between the Isle of Mull and Oban, the closest town on the Scottish mainland.