Computer virus hits U.S. drones
UAVs used in war zones compromised by bug
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Defence Images/FlickrReaper drones, unmanned aerial vehicles used by the military, have fallen victim to a computer virus, according to a Wired Magazine blog.
A computer virus has spread into the cockpits of U.S. Predator and Reaper drones, Wired Magazine's Danger Room blog reported.
The virus, was first detected two weeks ago by the military. It logs pilot's keystroke as they fly remotely over Afghanistan and other war zones to complete combat and surveillance missions.
According to sources in military, reports TG Daily, the virus hasn't managed to compromise classified information.
The virus has not affected the pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from executing their missions overseas, reports Wired. There have also not been any incidents of classified information being lost, or misspent. However, the virus has resisted efforts by the military to have it removed.
"We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back," said one of the three sources that spoke to Wired. "We think it's benign. But we just don't know."
Network security aren't positive about how the virus originated, whether it was intentional, or accidental. According to Wired, military network specialists believe there's a chance it's a a piece of malware that made its way into the military's network. The specialists don't exactly know how far the virus has reached, but they believe it probably hit classified and unclassified machines.
"It's getting a lot of attention," said a source. "But no one's panicking. Yet."
And senior officers at Creech are being briefed on the virus daily.
This article originally appeared on GlobalPost.
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