FCC sounds alarm after emergency tones turned into potty-mouthed radio takeover
- Reference: 1764252008
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/11/27/fcc_radio_hijack/
- Source link:
That's according to [1]the latest warning issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has flagged a "recent string of cyber intrusions" that diverted studio-to-transmitter links (STLs) so attackers could replace legitimate programming with their own audio – complete with the signature "Attention Signal" tone of the domestic Emergency Alert System (EAS).
According to the alert, the intrusions exploited unsecured broadcasting equipment, notably devices manufactured by Swiss firm Barix, which were reconfigured to stream attacker-controlled audio instead of station output. That stream included either real or simulated EAS alert tones, followed by obscene language or other offensive content.
[2]
Stations in Texas and Virginia have already reported incidents, including one during a live sports broadcast and another on a public radio affiliate's backup stream.
[3]
[4]
The HTX Media radio station in Houston confirmed it had fallen victim to hijackers in a post on Facebook, saying: "We've received multiple reports that 97.5 FM (ESPN Houston) has been hijacked and is currently broadcasting explicit and highly offensive content... The station appears to be looping a repeated audio stream that includes an Emergency Alert System (EAS) tone before playing an extremely vulgar track."
[5]Boffins say tool can sniff 5G traffic, launch 'attacks' without using rogue base stations
[6]A software-defined radio can derail a US train by slamming the brakes on remotely
[7]UK eyes new laws as cable sabotage blurs line between war and peace
[8]DHS warns of sharp rise in Chinese-made signal jammers it calls 'tools of terrorism'
The FCC's notice doesn't just sound the alarm about the problem – it offers a checklist of "best practices" broadcasters should follow to avoid falling victim to similar hijacks. These include promptly patching and updating firmware, replacing default passwords with strong alternatives (and rotating them periodically), putting EAS and other critical audio gear behind firewalls or VPN-protected networks, restricting remote management to authorized devices, and systematically auditing logs for suspicious access attempts.
Broadcasters are also urged to alert the FCC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if they suspect unauthorized access.
The FCC's warning comes after the EAS was compromised in 2013 across multiple television stations, with [9]hoax "zombie apocalypse" alerts briefly terrorizing viewers before authorities confirmed they were pranks.
[10]
For radio stations, the fix isn't fancy – just overdue. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-996A1.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/cybercrime&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aSiDprbPNtDd8fYctJXVKwAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/cybercrime&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSiDprbPNtDd8fYctJXVKwAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/cybercrime&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aSiDprbPNtDd8fYctJXVKwAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/18/sni5gect/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/14/train_brakes_flaw/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/02/uk_cable_sabotage_law/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/20/dhs_issues_warning_about_influx/
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Emergency_Alert_System_hijackings
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/cybercrime&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSiDprbPNtDd8fYctJXVKwAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"playing an extremely vulgar track"?
So something by [1]The Macc Lads then?!?
[1] https://themacclads.co.uk/
Yet...
Funding for cyber security keeps getting cut at a federal level. It's a bit of a mess.
Re: Yet...
WTF does the federal cybersecurity budget (which should be larger than it currently is) have to do with terrible, or terribly configured, Swiss-made commercial radio equipment? Nothing.
I'm not sure why they didn't go after a larger provider like iHeartMedia, Cumulus,or Townsquare Media.
"best practices" ????
● promptly patching and updating firmware
● replacing default passwords with strong alternatives (and rotating them periodically)
● putting EAS and other critical audio gear behind firewalls or VPN-protected networks
● restricting remote management to authorized devices
● systematically auditing logs for suspicious access attempts
Assuredly, the assumption that these are "best practices" is a prime source of our abysmal level of cybersecurity. They're the absolute minimum basics.
Pump up the Volume
Eat your cereal with a fork, and do your homework in the dark
Fines?
So, will the responsible (in the sense that it’s their transmitter) radio stations be fined for sending the emergency tones and dirty words to the Æther?
After all, it’s not just the loss of a gazillion customer records, youngins will hear shit on the radiowaves! (The three amish children that still listen to radio.)
(see icon)
Fun fact: it's illegal in the US to simply use the tone (853, 960Hz overlaid) in a non-emergency broadcast.