Hackers are hijacking U.S. radio transmission equipment to broadcast bogus emergency messages and obscene language, the Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday.
In a public notice, opens new tab, the FCC said a “recent string of cyber intrusions against various radio broadcasters” had occurred, resulting in the issuance of the U.S. Emergency Alert System’s “Attention Signal.” The signal is an attention-grabbing sound that is meant to precede official announcements related to tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other emergencies.
The FCC said the hackers appeared to have compromised improperly secured equipment made by the Swiss network audio company Barix and reconfigured it “to receive attacker-controlled audio in lieu of station programming.” The agency said affected stations “broadcast to the public an attacker-inserted audio stream that includes an actual or simulated Attention Signal and EAS alert tones, as well as obscene language, and other inappropriate material.”
The FCC said these incidents were tied to unsecured equipment that allowed unauthorized users to access transmission paths between studios and remote towers. Some stations learned of the compromise only after listeners reported unexpected emergency tones layered with bigoted or otherwise inappropriate content.
Some of these recommendations echo measures raised in 2016 when, at the time, Barix said its devices are secure “when set up correctly and protected with a strong password.”
The FCC encouraged broadcasters to contact equipment manufacturers if they suspect tampering. Stations experiencing unusual activity should alert the FCC Operations Center and file reports with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
While no broader disruptions have been reported, the FCC emphasized that proper configuration and routine maintenance remain essential as attackers continue to probe broadcast infrastructure nationwide.
