[EAS] Be Afraid, Be Really Afraid

[Bill Ruck]

I was asked by Dan Noyes from KGO-TV if were possible to spoof the 
EAS.  I said "Absolutely".

He sent me the following email:

<http://pastebin.com/gT7qErZF>http://pastebin.com/gT7qErZF   my program
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmkTkWB40Q>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmkTkWB40Q 
background info
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DRAD-j8ObI>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DRAD-j8ObI 
possible outcome

Synopsis
Who: me
What: could have hijacked all radio/tv stations nationally
When: by the end of the month
Where: all of the US
Why: I got bored, was not used by Anonymous because it was not seen as a
valid method of protest
How: the program I wrote and a radio legally and easily purchased (like
the many I own)

The pastebin url is a program I wrote.  That program generates the tones
that triggers an EAS message.  Those tones are emitted from a soundcard
to a radio transmitter.  That gets broadcast to a EAS receiving station
and may be replicate through the entire EAS network nationally - this is
an automated network so it does not require human intervention.  This
means that someone could easily hijack all radio and tv channels both
terrestrial and satellite with any message they desire.

The first youtube is a lecture explaining the system and the weakness I
exploit.  This video was provided for background information if you
require it.  The second youtube is a scene from the movie V for Vendetta
where he hijacks all the TVs.  It is an example of what could be
accomplished with this program.

Satellite radio and tv will pick up national messages only, however my
program lets you set it as a national message.  If it is a message from
the president there is no time limit otherwise there is a 120 second
time limit.

Think Orson Wells "War of the Worlds" broadcast only using contemporary
figures, instead of Martians perhaps it is terrorists attacking on the
same scale as the Martians did in that hoax (NBCs twitter feed this week
and fox news politics twitter feed a couple months ago both were used
for messages like this, except on every tv and radio station making it
FAR more believable).  A story of a series of dirty bombs, martial law,
the works could be done which could cause people to panic, riot or
worse.

There is 0 security in this system, it only takes something to generate
the proper tones (3 buzzes a tone and 3 more buzzes).  My program does
exactly that.  You feed that into a radio transmitter which can be
easily purchased legally (some modification may be required to get the
correct frequency) and proximity to a suitable receiving station.  You
can be about 1 mile away with a modest transmitter, further with a more
powerful transmitter.  This affords you the ability to be hidden when
you make the transmission to avoid being noticed before you can get
away.

In the last 2.5 months or so Anonymous (and anyone else) could have
utilized the program I wrote to do this.  So far restraint has been
shown as it would not be considered a valid form of protest, what
Anonymous does.  This is a somewhat important point, the fact that
Anonymous is a protest group and not out to cause any mayhem that they
could.

Also note, I am not a "member" of Anonymous merely an observer, however
this program was shared with those that are active with Anonymous.  As
such Anonymous did have access to all of the required information.

You should see the first Youtube presentation by Matt "DCFLuX" Krick, 
Chief Engineer, New West Broadcasting Systems, Inc. at DEFCON 16.

The information is now out there.

Be warned.

Bill Ruck
Curmudgeon
San Francisco