A group of cybersecurity researchers has discovered what they believe to be an intentional backdoor in encrypted radios used by police, military, and critical infrastructure entities worldwide. This backdoor may have existed for decades, potentially compromising sensitive information transmitted through these radios. The researchers argue that the standard responsible for maintaining the radios denies the existence of a backdoor, claiming it was designed for export controls. However, the radios can be decrypted using consumer hardware within a minute. The researchers have identified multiple vulnerabilities in the encryption standard used by the radios, allowing for historical decryption of communications. These findings will be presented at the upcoming Black Hat cybersecurity conference.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEA1 Backdoor | Key reduction step weakens encryption | Passive decryption of intercepted traffic with consumer hardware | Motivation: Intentional weakening without public disclosure |
| Firmware Updates | Radio manufacturers develop updates | Migration to other ciphers, additional end-to-end encryption | Motivation: Address vulnerabilities and improve security standards |