Two hackers claim that they can hack TrackingPoint precision-guided sniper rifles and take control or disable the weaponry. TrackingPoint may have developed the futuristic firearm, but the husband-and-wife hacker pair of Michael Auger and Runa Sandvik believe they can break through its system.
TrackingPoint is an American company that is the first to have created precision-guided firearms (PGF), which the company claims is "like a fighter jet without wings."
"A Precision-Guided Firearm is a comprehensive, purpose-built weapon system. It incorporates the same tracking and fire-control capabilities found in advanced fighter jets. Shooters of any skill level can now shoot better than the best shooters who ever lived," stated the company.
Auger and Sandvik, however, claim that the high-tech sniper rifles can be hacked. The duo will present their findings at the Black Hat annual conference starting in early August.
The couple has developed a series of techniques that allow a hacker to breach the rifle's security system through its Wi-Fi connection and exploit weaknesses in the rifle's software. The hackers suggest that they can make the rifle miss its target, disable its computer and prevent the sniper rifle from firing. However, hackers cannot fire the gun since a shooter would have to pull the trigger to fire it.
Sandvik and Auger also demonstrated their hacking techniques to WIRED. In a video, the couple showed how they could hack the rifle's computer system to precisely hit a target chosen by them, bypassing the target chosen by the actual shooter.
"You can make it lie constantly to the user so they'll always miss their shot," said Sandvik.
TrackingPoint was launched in 2011. The company has already sold over 1,000 precision-guided or self-aiming rifles that run on the Linux system, but it is no longer shipping rifles. It also has not released any statement regarding the vulnerabilities associated with its sniper rifles.
TrackingPoint is not the only company that creates computerized weapons.
The Next Web reports that TrackingPoint is currently undergoing restructuring and has laid off most of its employees.
Hacking a dangerous rifle can be terrifying, and companies making such weapons should deploy a strict security system for their products so that they cannot be hacked at all.
Check out a short video on self-aiming rifles made by TrackingPoint.
