# Sniper Rifle Hacked **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 29, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531 "2015-07-29T22:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/1 "2015-07-29T22:35:45Z")
Who woulda thunk? Story links: > **[1,000 self-targeting sniper rifles can be remotely hacked…](https://thenextweb.com/news/i-shot-the-sheriff-my-hacked-rifle-shot-the-deputy)** > > Yep. A company made rifles that have Linux/Android onboard. They can be remotely exploited and the hackers can choose new targets. Nice work, dummies. > **[Hackers Can Disable a Sniper Rifle—Or Change Its Target](https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-can-disable-sniper-rifleor-change-target/)** > > If a hacker attacks your TrackingPoint smart gun over its Wi-Fi connection, you may find the weapon is aiming at a different target than you think. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/2 "2015-07-29T22:44:37Z")
Could one of the mods kindly fix my spelling to Sniper? I really should wear my reading glasses when posting. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/3 "2015-07-29T22:46:32Z")
The mods don’t read every post in every thread. You can either message a mod directly or “report” your own post and note the error. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/4 "2015-07-29T22:53:07Z")
Thanks. Already reported my own post. I also forgot to add a blurb from the WIRED article: “At the Black Hat hacker conference in two weeks, security researchers Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger plan to present the results of a year of work hacking a pair of $13,000 TrackingPoint self-aiming rifles. The married hacker couple have developed a set of techniques that could allow an attacker to compromise the rifle via its Wi-Fi connection and exploit vulnerabilities in its software. Their tricks can change variables in the scope’s calculations that make the rifle inexplicably miss its target, permanently disable the scope’s computer, or even prevent the gun from firing.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/5 "2015-07-29T23:37:08Z")
Why is it nearly _every_ link posted on The Dope makes my shit freeze? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/6 "2015-07-30T00:26:22Z")
Why would they put a wi-fi connection on the gun in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/7 "2015-07-30T00:26:48Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Why is it nearly _every_ link posted on The Dope makes my shit freeze? 😕 Do you mean your browser, or your bowels? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/8 "2015-07-30T00:38:59Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why would they put a wi-fi connection on the gun in the first place? To make it sync up with the command and control (CCC) software. Instant recision of Orders to Fire if friendlies are spotted, instant update of wind and weather from the good equipment the Commander is using, rather than paying extra to put tiny less accurate wind sensors on the gun, and, of course, instant download of coordinates from the drones. That sort of thing. In most cases though, in the field the CCC software adds the level of encryption and security to communications. If the guns were deployed I suspect (Hope!) this would not have worked. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/9 "2015-07-30T20:58:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Why is it nearly _every_ link posted on The Dope makes my shit freeze? 😕 Dope initiated poopsicles? See, kids, drugs can be fun! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sniper-rifle-hacked/726531/10 "2015-07-31T01:43:55Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > To make it sync up with the command and control (CCC) software. Instant recision of Orders to Fire if friendlies are spotted, instant update of wind and weather from the good equipment the Commander is using, rather than paying extra to put tiny less accurate wind sensors on the gun, and, of course, instant download of coordinates from the drones. That sort of thing. > > In most cases though, in the field the CCC software adds the level of encryption and security to communications. If the guns were deployed I suspect (Hope!) this would not have worked. The article said it has wifi “So you can stream a video of your shot to a laptop or iPad.” This isn’t a remote operated military rifle - it’s a commercially available rifle, and you thankfully still need a human physically holding it to pull the trigger. So it’s not like it’s a servo based weapon that can be aimed over 360 degrees remotely - all it really does is do all the wind, range, bullet weight, etc. math for you and move the crosshairs appropriately, then not actually let the weapon fire until you’ve put the crosshairs over your actual designated target.