Hacker’s SAT – A Collection of Resources for Budding SAT Hackers

A collection of Resources for budding SAT hackers (Satellites, not the test). Note: This is an evolving resource, so please contribute with a pull request

Jump To: Web sites | Articles and Op-Eds | Tools and Projects | Videos | Books and White Papers | 2020 Write-Ups | Programming Libraries | Miscellaneous | Contacts

Background

The democratization of space has opened up a new frontier for exploration and innovation. But with this opportunity, new cybersecurity vulnerabilities are also being created.

One human can design, build and launch a satellite, adhering to very few standards and security protocols. So how can we achieve safe, reliable and trustworthy operations to truly realize the promise of space? …BY HACKING A SATELLITE.

The United States Air Force, in conjunction with the Defense Digital Service, presents this year’s Space Security Challenge, Hack-A-Sat.

This challenge asks hackers from around the world to focus their skills and creativity on solving cybersecurity challenges on space systems… THE QUESTION IS, HOW?

Resources

Hack A Sat Workshops

We are bringing a series of interactive workshops to DEF CON in complete Safemode via Twitch.

Check out our vibrant, web-based virtual reality environment to access the workshops at dds-virtual.com, otherwise, see the github repo for the deets on game play for each of the work shops!

Hack A Sat Challenges

• Hack A Sat Qualifier Challenges : Public version of the qualifier challenges from HAS 2020

Articles And Op-Eds

• Space Development Agency to launch five satellites aboard SpaceX rideshare by Sandra Erwin.
• U.S. Army selects Iridium to develop payload for low Earth orbit satellite navigation system by Sandra Erwin.
• Op-ed | Assessing new launch vehicles on the market by Phillip Bracken.
• Hackers could shut down satellites – or turn them into weapons by William Akoto.
• Want to Hack a Satellite? It Might Be Easier Than You Think by Max Eddy with video presentation.
• It’s Surprisingly Simple to Hack a Satellite by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai about Iridium hacking.
• Hacking Satellites Is Surprisingly Simple By Ryan Whitwam.
• Our satellites are prime targets for a cyberattack. And things could get worse. by Gergory Falco.

Web Sites

• Satellite Orbits, Models, Methods, Applications, Oliver Montenbruck, Eberhard Gill
• Hackers Homepage on DSS signal hacking
• School Amateur Radio Club Network: “a free on-line resource for anyone associated with or thinking about setting up a School Amateur Radio Club”
• Satellite Projects (GOES Satellite Hunt and other), Lucas Teske

Tools And Projects

• Mini Satellite-Antenna Rotator Mk1: “This project is a portable device used to automatically point a directional antenna towards an orbiting satellite.
• Webinar: GNSS hacking, from satellite signals to hardware/software cybersecurity
• Presentation at RSA Conference 2019- Attack Vectors in Orbit: The Need for IoT and Satellite Security by William J Malik, CISA
• Satellite Project: Hackaday Satellite Projects
• Tools and infrastructure: QEMU+GDB to emulate a satellite, CCSDS using scapy, infra scripts. Solar Wine

Videos

• Hacking Iridium Satellites With Iridium Toolkit by TechMinds
• Iridium Satellite Hacking – HOPE XI 2016
• SATCOM Terminals: Hacking by Air, Sea, and Land by Ruben Santamarta
• DEF CON 23 – Colby Moore – Spread Spectrum Satcom Hacking
• 2012: Martin Rutishauser: Satellite Hacking: An Introduction
• Reverse Engineering Satellite Based IP Content Distribution
• How to Reverse-Engineer a Satellite TV Smart Card
• Reverse engineering Outernet (33c3)
• Reverse Engineering NOAA and ARGOS Satellite – Hot Topics – 9th September 2016
• Lucas Teske – Satellite Communications Reverse Engineering – H2HC 2016
• Spread Spectrum Satcom Hacking: Attacking The Globalstar Simplex Data Service
• Hacking Iridium Satellites With Iridium Toolkit
• Black Hat DC 2009 – Adam Laurie – Satellite Hacking for Fun and Profit
• Stephan Gerling – Hacking Yachts Remotely via Satcom or Maritime Internet Router
• Black Hat USA 2015 – Spread Spectrum Satcom Hacking Attacking The Globalstar Simplex Data Service
• SEC-T 2009 – Playing in a Satellite environment – Ramón Pinuaga
• GPS As An Attack Vector

Books And White Papers

• About: Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, Third Edition by David A. Vallado
• About: Fundamentals of Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control by F. Landis Markley, John L. Crassidis
• About: Satellite Communications Payload and System
• How To: Satellite Hacking: A Guide for the Perplexed: 
• How To: Satellite Network Hacking & Security Analysis by Adam Ali.Zare Hudaib
• How To: Satellite Tool Kit Astronautics Primer by Jerry Jon Sellers Based on Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics
• How To: NASA’s Beginner’s Guide to Rockets
• How To: CubeSat 101: Basic Concepts and Processes for First-Time CubeSat Developers
• How To: DIY Communications and Control for Amateur Space : Talking and Listening to Your Satellite by Sandy Antune
• How To: Surviving Orbit The DIY way : Testing the Limits Your Satellite Can and Must Match
• How To: Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD
• Types of Risks and Attacks: MITIGATING CYBER SECURITY RISK IN SATELLITE GROUND SYSTEMS by Stephen F. Bichler, Maj, USAF
• Types of Risks and Attacks: Attack Vectors in Orbit: The Need for IoT and Satellite Security by William
• Types of Risks and Attacks: Cybersecurity Principles for Space Systems by Gregory Falco
• Types of Risks and Attacks: Electronic and Cyber Warfare in Outer Space by Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

Hack-A-Sat 2020 Writeups

• Recap of the team Exodus Orbitals Alliance (192 out of 1278 teams) 
• Where’s the Sat? [HackaSat] [Writeup] by Philippe Delteil
• Seeing Stars [HackASat] [Writeup] by Philippe Delteil
• Track The Sat – Ground Segment by Keramas
• 56k Flex Magic – Communication Systems by Keramas
• 56k Flex Magic – Communication Systems by Tan
• I Like to Watch – Hack-A-Sat CTF Challenge Solution [Writeup] by Dawid Golunski
• Hack-a-Sat CTF Writeup: My 0x20 (aka ”Myspace”) [Writeup] by OH HAI THERE
• Hack-A-Sat 2020: Sun? On my Sat? [Writeup] by OH starfleetcadet75
• Vaporsec CTF team from DC 858/619 summarizes the event and lessons learned
• LaunchLink – Hack-A-Sat Quals 2020 [Writeup] by erfur
• Leaky Crypto – Hack-A-Sat Writeup: [Writeup] by ADDVulcan
• Qualification and final write-ups [Writeup] by Solar Wine

Standards

• CCSDS: The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is a multi-national forum for the development of communications & data systems standards for spaceflight.
• OGC: Open Geospatial Consortium is a worldwide community committed to improving access to geospatial, or location information.
• OMG Space DTF: The OMG Space Domain Task Force (Space DTF) was established to answer a call by industry professionals for greater interoperability as well as a reduction in costs,

Programming Libraries

• CCSDSPy: Provides an IO Interface for reading CCSDS data in Python. The CCSDS format is used for many NASA and ESA missions for low-level telemetry
• Satpy: Python library for reading and manipulating meteorological remote sensing data and writing it to various image and data file formats
• SGP4: Python version of the SGP4 satellite position library
• Poliastro: Collection of Python functions useful in Astrodynamics and Orbital Mechanics, focusing on interplanetary applications. It provides a simple and intuitive API and handles physical quantities with units
• Skyfield: Computes positions for the stars, planets, and satellites in orbit around the Earth
• satellite.js: A library to make satellite propagation via TLEs possible in the web. Provides the functions necessary for SGP4/SDP4 calculations, as callable javascript. Also provides functions for coordinate transforms.
• Cesium-js: Cesium is the open platform for software applications designed to unleash the power of 3D data.
• SpacePython: Satellite Operations Language Metamodel.
• OpenTsiolkovsky: OpenTsiolkovsky is a free , specific usage rocket flight simulator that allow you calcurate rocket trajectry.

Miscellaneous

• SPACEX – ISS Docking Simulator: This simulator will familiarize you with the controls of the actual interface used by NASA Astronauts to manually pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the International Space
• Satellite, Junk, and Flare Tracking
• Feed Hunting and Satellite Mapping