The debate surrounding the rifle and targeting system controlled by a computer has come into the spotlight. a research couple proved they can hack the system.
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Cybersecurity researchers Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger have figured out how a hacker could take control of a TrackingPoint self-aiming sniper rifle, pointing the way away from its intended target or stopping it from firing altogether.
In a video demonstration filmed with Wired, the researchers showed that they were able to jam the gun’s operating system, as well as cause the rifle to miss its target, input new changes to the firearm’s targeting system that cause the gun to aim incorrectly and hit a completely different target.
The couple have successfully been able to break into the rifle system and exploit the flaws in the software only through a Wi-Fi connection.
The hackers found gaps in the weapon’s security system which allow someone to gain remote access the self-aiming feature and change the trajectory of a bullet, change the weapon’s target and even prevent the weapon from firing.
The concept of a smart sniper rifle has been in the works for a number of years now and threatens to either rule out the skill of marksmanship perfected over the decades, or turn snipers into programmers.
Ms Sandvik said: “You can make it lie constantly to the user so they’ll always miss their shot”.
Sandvik and Auger found vulnerabilities in the rifle’s software and were able to use the gun’s wireless connection to access its application program interface, where they essentially reprogrammed its targeting functions.
On the plus side however, you can toy with the gun, but you cannot fire it remotely, as the gun relies on a mechanical system that has to be activated by the trigger being pulled manually. Since its launch in 2011, TrackingPoint has sold over a thousand of its rifles.
Moreover, Tracking Point founder John McHale claimed that, in practice, it would be hard to hack guns, as they are usually used in places which are far from any network.
“The shooter’s got to pull the rifle’s trigger, and the shooter is responsible for making sure it’s pointed in a safe direction”.
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The guns use Wi-Fi to transmit video. The fundamentals of shooting don’t change even if the gun is hacked.’.
