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Cracking the GPS Galileo Satellite

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the giving-people-a-reason dept.

Glyn writes "Newswise is reporting the the encryption in the Galileo GPS signal has been broken. The pseudo random number generator used to obscure the information stored in the Galileo GPS signal has been broken. From the article: 'Members of Cornell's Global Positioning System (GPS) Laboratory have cracked the so-called pseudo random number (PRN) codes of Europe's first global navigation satellite, despite efforts to keep the codes secret. That means free access for consumers who use navigation devices -- including handheld receivers and systems installed in vehicles -- that need PRNs to listen to satellites.'"

4 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. Re:uncrackable encryption by Gorath99 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I fact, that is pretty much the only attack that will work against a correct implementation of OTP, an encryption scheme that actually is unbreakable (though rather unpractical for most applications).

  2. Re:How about the US GPS encrypted channels? by steve_l · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think the US encryption system changes on a regular (monthly?) basis; you need new keys in your receiver. So even if you manage to pick up an military GPS rx on ebay or somewhere else, you wont get the military fix.

    which is a pity -apparently it works better under tree cover than civilian GPS.

  3. Algorithm is being replaced by joshua42 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Acoording to a friend working on the Galileo project they came up with a new encryption algorithm specification a week ago. Quite annoying with such changes this late in the project, they thought. I guess this news kind of explains it.

    --

    - El riesgo siempre vive - Private J. Vasquez
  4. Re:uncrackable encryption by dnoyeb · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Beautiful. I have tried to explain for a time that this is not just the measure of encryption but the measure of security itself.

    Security is the difference in access-pain for those with permisison vs. those without. Putting something where nobody can get to it is not ultimate security, thats no security at all.

    As for the satellite, I presume the European one is offering more accuracy and that it can't be shut off by the US Government. Well not because they unilaterally decide to.

    Also I'm surprised if anyone in US would be able to use this cracked satellite data in the US due to DMCA. But everyone else in the world can, lol.