DEF CON crowd suspected in fake-hotspot attack on Delta flight
Passengers on Delta flight 591 from Las Vegas to Atlanta allegedly spoofed the aircraft’s Wi‑Fi by creating a fake hotspot. The incident was linked to attendees of the DEF CON security conference and prompted an investigation by the FBI. Delta disabled the onboard Wi‑Fi for about 30 minutes, and no aircraft systems were affected.
- ▪Passengers reportedly set up a counterfeit “Delta WiFi Fast” hotspot that displayed a phishing landing page to capture personal credentials.
- ▪The activity was reported through ACARS messages and social‑media accounts, with speculation that DEF CON attendees were involved.
- ▪Delta confirmed an unauthorized Wi‑Fi network was present briefly but affirmed that flight safety and aircraft operating systems were not compromised.
- ▪The FBI and Atlanta Police are investigating the case, and no arrests have been made so far.
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| Canonical URL | https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/08/def-con-crowd-suspected-in-fake-hotspot-attack-on-delta-flight/ |
| Publication time | Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:08:40 +0000 |
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mile-high hackers DEF CON crowd suspected in fake-hotspot attack on Delta flightvar abtest_2167121 = new ABTest(2167121, 'click'); FBI Atlanta confirms it’s looking into the incident, no arrests made. Cyrus Farivar – Aug 11, 2026 8:08 pm | 3 Credit: Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket Credit: Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav On Monday, passengers aboard Delta flight 591 going from Las Vegas to Atlanta allegedly spoofed the onboard Wi-Fi, raising the attention of federal law enforcement.
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