How to Hack a Drone Without Touching It - Fault Injection

Gabriel González-García sips on a cold brew coffee and explains fault injection.

Today’s episode dives into hardware hacking at the transistor level, where attackers manipulate the laws of physics instead of software bugs. Gabriel walks us through his research on applying electromagnetic fault injection (EMFI) to DJI drones and using precisely timed electrical pulses to flip bits, bypass protections, and extract secrets from complex embedded systems. We explore how these physical attacks work, from setting up an XYZ table and a $200 PicoEMP pulse generator to running week-long experiments that flip a single instruction at the perfect nanosecond. Gabriel explains how these techniques can unlock firmware, extract encryption keys, and compromise fleets of devices all without touching a line of source code. Along the way, he demystifies UARTs, JTAGs, and the fine line between engineering precision and hacker intuition.

About The Show:

Hackers On The Rocks mixes refreshing conversation with potent cybersecurity insights. Each episode tackles a specific software vulnerability class and a cocktail. Both go down easy. Cheers! The cybersecurity world is a vibrant mix of technical talent and strategic minds. Here at Hackers on the Rocks, we raise a glass to the unsung heroes: the practitioners. While the broader community encompasses diverse roles including governance, risk, and compliance managers, network analysts, and incident responders, our podcast celebrates the hackers on the front lines. It is researchers who are deciphering code, digging into products, and finding unintended consequences within design implementations. Join us as we raise a glass to their expertise and translate their knowledge into clear, actionable insights for everyone.