Atlanta-headquartered company Delta Air Lines is looking into a weird event that too place aboard a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta.
Namely, the American carrier reported an unauthorized Wi-Fi network appeared out of the blue, prompting the crew to temporarily disable the aircraft’s internet service as a precaution.
30 Minutes Off Delta’s Network
The incident occurred Monday, August 10, on Delta Flight 591, a Boeing 757 traveling from Harry Reid International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 199 passengers and six crew members.
Delta said its initial investigation found that the unauthorized network was not provided, operated, or supplied by the airline.
The cabin crew responded by shutting down the aircraft’s Wi-Fi functionality for approximately 30 minutes.
Importantly, Delta said there was no hack of its systems, and neither the aircraft’s operating systems nor flight safety were affected. No emergency was declared with air traffic control.
Passenger Security Concerns
The incident has nevertheless raised questions about whether passengers could have been exposed to a potentially fraudulent Wi-Fi connection.
Reports indicated that the unauthorized network appeared under a name resembling Delta’s legitimate onboard service. Online accounts also alleged that passengers returning from DEF CON, the major cybersecurity conference held in Las Vegas, were aboard the flight.
Some reports have described the incident as a possible Wi-Fi deauthentication attack followed by the creation of a so-called rogue or “evil twin” network. These types of attacks can potentially disconnect users from a legitimate network and encourage them to connect to a fraudulent one.
However, Delta has not confirmed who created the network, how it was created, or whether passenger information was compromised.
The airline is currently working with federal law enforcement and aviation regulators to determine exactly what happened and learn whether the network was generated by specialized equipment, a personal device or an intentional attempt to imitate Delta’s Wi-Fi service.
The timing is also interesting, as the flight operated shortly after DEF CON concluded in Las Vegas.
The conference brings together cybersecurity professionals, researchers, hackers and technology enthusiasts, although the presence of conference attendees on the flight does not establish a connection between the event and the incident.