(Seattle Times) – Airport security has become far more advanced in the last decade, but according to the findings of one security researcher, the technology being used to protect travelers is still dangerously vulnerable to hackers.
On his own time, Billy Rios of Qualys Security said he purchased some of the hardware and software used by the Transportation Security Administration.
At a talk at this year’s Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, he revealed details about several vulnerabilities he was able to find, most notably in the device entrusted to detect trace levels of drugs and explosives.
The machine, the Morpho Itemiser, is set up so that the technician level password is hardcoded in.