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For the first time, hackers have successfully hacked into a US Air Force satellite in orbit. This hack was part of the annual “Hack-A-Sat” competition organized by the US Space Force to test the security of satellites against real threats. The Italian team, known as mHACKeroni, emerged as the winners of the competition and received a prize of ,000.

During the “Hack-A-Sat” competition, held at the DEF CON hacker conference in Las Vegas, the participants were tasked with attacking a real satellite in space. The targeted satellite was the US Air Force Moonlighter, which had been deployed specifically for the competition. Out of over 700 applicants, five teams were selected to strategically hack into the satellite, attempting to establish a data link while also preventing other teams from doing so.

mHACKeroni, from Italy, successfully breached the satellite’s security systems and emerged as the winners of the competition. Last year’s winners, the Poland-based team “Poland Can Into Space,” secured second place and a prize of ,000. The joint UK-US team known as jmp fs:[rcx] secured third place and took home ,000.

Although the competition had a playful atmosphere, it reflects the growing concern of satellite hacking as a serious security threat. Satellite hacking can have significant geopolitical consequences. In 2022, Russia targeted American satellite company Viasat just hours before deploying troops in Ukraine, resulting in a loss of communication in the initial days of the invasion. Classified documents also reveal that China is actively developing technology to gain control over enemy satellites.

The “Hack-A-Sat” competition aims to identify vulnerabilities in US cyber defenses before they can be exploited by rival states like Russia and China. By encouraging ethical hacking and exposing weaknesses, the competition helps improve the security of satellite systems and safeguard against potential cyber threats.

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