Could You Hack Into Mars Curiosity Rover?

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Could You Hack Into Mars Curiosity Rover?

Posted by samzenpus on Monday August 13, 2012 @08:18AM from the let-me-in dept.

MrSeb writes "NASA's Curiosity rover has now been on the surface of Mars for just over a week. It hasn't moved an inch after landing, instead focusing on orienting itself (and NASA's scientists) by taking instrument readings and snapping images of its surroundings. The first beautiful full-color images of Gale Crater are starting to trickle in, and NASA has already picked out some interesting rock formations that it will investigate further in the next few days. Over the weekend and continuing throughout today, however, Curiosity is attempting something very risky indeed: A firmware upgrade. This got me thinking: If NASA can transmit new software to a Mars rover that's hundreds of millions of miles away... why can't a hacker do the same thing? In short, there's no reason a hacker couldn't take control of Curiosity, or lock NASA out. All you would need is your own massive 230-foot dish antenna and a 400-kilowatt transmitter — or, perhaps more realistically, you could hack into NASA's computer systems, which is exactly what Chinese hackers did 13 times in 2011."

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No worries by crazyjj · 2012-08-13 08:25 · Score: 5, Funny

Hackers hate challenges.

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1. Re:No worries by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-13 08:57 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Besides, the Motto is "Hack the Planet", so this would be clearly outside the scope.
Secret Questions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-13 08:26 · Score: 5, Funny

Does anyone know A)where Curiosity was born B)Curiosity's childhood pet C)Curiosity's mother's maiden name?
1. Re:Secret Questions by TheSpoom · 2012-08-13 08:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  a) Pasadena
  b) Neil Armstrong
  c) Apollo
  
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Would be funny... by Cito · 2012-08-13 08:35 · Score: 5, Funny

Curiosity no longer responds after firmware update
Using Hubble Telescope the only image they can see on top of the Rover is this image: http://agilemobility.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/stuck_on_activate_my_iphone_screen21.jpg
When you put it that way... by batquux · 2012-08-13 08:36 · Score: 5, Funny

All you would need is your own massive 230-foot dish antenna and a 400-kilowatt transmitter
In that case, yes. Yes, I could.
Proxy by Fuzzums · 2012-08-13 08:47 · Score: 5, Funny

I've already configured my system to use Curiosity as anonymous proxy. They will never find me.
(obviously this message was posted 14 minutes ago)

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Privacy is terrorism.
1. Re:Proxy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-13 09:24 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well, he's blown it. Now they know he's on Mars.
2. Re:Proxy by Grave · 2012-08-13 10:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  So, still no intelligent life. Bummer.
Re:dd by kimvette · 2012-08-13 08:49 · Score: 5, Funny

Good thing they're not provisioned by AT&T or Comcast, otherwise NASA would have to contend with artificial bandwidth caps. ;)

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Re:dd by Krater76 · 2012-08-13 09:42 · Score: 5, Funny

.. they reprogrammed the Voyager 2 spacecraft to take photos of poorly-lit Uranus.
Couldn't they have just turned on the lights in the bathroom?

(Face it, you knew an ass joke was imminent.)

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"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" - Patrick Henry
Re:Really? by SuricouRaven · 2012-08-13 10:01 · Score: 5, Funny

-o ConnectTimeout=1860
Re:Wikipedia has something to say about this threa by ksandom · 2012-08-13 13:08 · Score: 5, Funny

I bricked my routeeeeeeer, but I did not brick curiosity!

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