If you thought you could always trust emergency warnings, think again. On Monday, ComputerWorld reported a security firm issued a warning that the U.S. Emergency Alert System is open to hackers with the right information. What we could be looking at is a situation similar to what happened in Montana of this year, when hackers broadcast a warning message about the arrival of zombies in the area.
There are two reasons the system is hackable. The first is that a firmware update to the application servers accidentally included the secure-shell (SSH) key.This key allows someone with a small amount of knowledge to be able to login and access any system function or disable the system.
The second is that the people who are using these systems are not changing the passwords that come built into the system. Other stations that have been hacked, though not at a national level, have admitted that they had never changed the default login information. This was also the case with the Montana hacking.
The company that found this fault, IOActive, held off on releasing information about this vulnerability until patches could be issued. Operators of the equipment are urged to change their passwords and update firmware to remove the potential threat of being hacked by those who have access to the key.
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/article/u-s-emergency-alert-system-is-vulnerable-to-hacking?cid=roadrunner