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Reverse Engineering a Missile Launcher Toy's Interface

Posted by Soulskill on from the target-that-explosion-and-fire dept.

nitro writes "A fairly in-depth technical report by the security researchers at TippingPoint was released on how to reverse engineer the proprietary protocol for controlling a USB missile-launching toy system. They develop an iPhone application to control the device. 'The hardware is coupled with a simple GUI controller written in Delphi (MissileLauncher.exe) and a USB Human Interface Device (HID) interface written in C++ (USBHID.dll). The toys lost their allure within minutes of harassing my team with a barrage of soft missile shots. That same night I thought I would be able to extend the fun factor by coding up a programmatic interface to the launchers in Python. ... One interesting thing is that we have a lot more granular control of the turret movement now than we did with the original GUI. I wrote two simple loops to count the number of possible horizontal and vertical ticks and the results were 947 horizontal and 91 vertical versus 54 and 10 from the original GUI respectively. Granular control allows you to slowly and quietly reposition the turret for stealthy attacks.'"

19 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Legal implications by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just as Phil Zimmermann famously had to distribute PGP internationally in print form to avoid violating munitions laws, wouldn't these guys have to be really careful about their elite missle launching software? If this code makes it to Syria or Iran, we're in for a mildly annoying attack with state of the art styrofoam weaponry.

  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. Good work. by curtinparloe · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now you need to incorporate webcam target recognition and create an automated firing application.

    You could call it "Skynet".

    1. Re:Good work. by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Funny

      That sounds fantastic. I'd love to jump out of bed at 3 am wondering where the iceberg is. And I won't need to squirt the deer with water, either; I just sleep on the porch, and when I fucking piss myself I can hose them down, too.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Good work. by wisty · · Score: 2, Funny

      Who says the squirt gun has to use water?

    3. Re:Good work. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'd love to jump out of bed at 3 am wondering where the iceberg is.

            Thanks to global warming, there are no icebergs anymore. Oh, wait-

      Shit, an iceberg got him!

    4. Re:Good work. by Hanyin · · Score: 3, Funny

      What kind of geek are you? Just make a project out of it ;-)

    5. Re:Good work. by Cyberax · · Score: 3, Funny

      I recommend landmines. Just don't forget where you put them :)

    6. Re:Good work. by glittalogik · · Score: 2, Funny

      I recommend tiger urine.

  4. Pft. by Spatial · · Score: 5, Funny

    No wireless. Less ammunition than an AH-64. Lame.

  5. iPhone this. iPhone that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I don't Phone anyone so I stopped reading at "iPhone"

  6. Cheap Toys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I watch Woot on pretty much a daily basis and as a result I frequently end up purchasing toys that I really don't need. Most recently I picked up this silly pair of USB Missile Launchers for just under 40$ shipped.

    Presumably this is how the guy ended up with an iPhone.

  7. Re:Cops and Robbers or Global Armageddon ? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was thinking of some joke a little more limp-wristed, which is what I always thought when I saw some kid talking about "Rouge Squadron". They fly the pink X-Wings, right?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. Re:Hacking somethign that did not need a hack. by woolpert · · Score: 5, Funny

    These have been "hacked" for years now. I had one running under linux in my cubicle 4 years ago using a webcam for auto targeting coworkers.

    The code. Put up or shut up, AC.

  9. Hiring? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It must be fun to reverse engineer toys at a computer security company and get paid.

  10. Re:Cops and Robbers or Global Armageddon ? by cleatsupkeep · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was thinking of some joke a little more limp-wristed, which is what I always thought when I saw some kid talking about "Rouge Squadron". They fly the pink X-Wings, right?

    Pink 5 standing by... And FABULOUS

  11. Re:DIADS by Tiger4 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not such a joke. Look up DIADS, Digital integrated Air Defense (amazingly, not in Wikipedia!). This guy has just hacked the rudiments of Fire Control system. Which is approximately half of a DIADS. The other half being the radar and sensor integration. Which is handled by the many Open projects on sonar and video camera applications. Put them all together, and Our Sandbox Conquering Overlords will have all the tools they need to take them to Playground Domination.

    --
    Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now, and let us slay him... and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
  12. Re:Python? by Jurily · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oblig.

  13. Re:Squirting deer... by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 4, Funny

    Personally, I don't see why we need any more justification for shooting deer than how damn good they taste. :)

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)