2023/03/01 by Joshua Smailes, Edd Salkield, Smailes, Joshua +6 · 1 citation
Computer Science · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Advanced Malware Detection Techniques #Cryptography and Security (cs.CR) #Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Networking and Internet Architecture (cs.NI) #Satellite Communication Systems
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2303.00582
openalex publication_date 2023/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Satellite user terminals are a promising target for adversaries seeking to target satellite communication networks. Despite this, many protections commonly found in terrestrial routers are not present in some user terminals. As a case study we audit the attack surface presented by the Starlink router's admin interface, using fuzzing to uncover a denial of service attack on the Starlink user terminal. We explore the attack's impact, particularly in the cases of drive-by attackers, and attackers that are able to maintain a continuous presence on the network. Finally, we discuss wider implications, looking at lessons learned in terrestrial router security, and how to properly implement them in this new context.