As Amazon.com unveiled futuristic plans to use drones for deliveries, researchers have revealed how it is possible for the remote-control aircraft to be hacked and controlled by a third party.
In an ambitious move, the global online retailer unveiled its Prime Air project, with the ultimate aim of getting purchases to customers in less than 30 minutes through the use of the unmanned aircraft.
But as the plan was being revealed in America, a conference in Perth was hearing how drones using standard WiFi connections to controllers could be overridden using a laptop computer and the right software.
Research authors Matthew Peacock and Michael Johnstone, of Edith Cowan University's (ECU) School of Computer and Security Science tested the connections of the popular Parrot AR Drone, which can be bought in Australia for less than $400.
And the tests proved the drone was vulnerable to a "de-authentication attack" - meaning control could be obtained by a non-authorised party whilst the device was still airborne.
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The research also posited the on-board camera contained in many of the currently available drones could also be remotely tampered with by the right technology.
"Misuse of the camera can raise privacy concerns, because unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can traverse property boundaries easily and quickly," the study concluded.
While the results could be a concern for Amazon, the ECU researchers say there could be much more wide-ranging issues if their results were acted on in the real world.
"The misuse of small UAV's such as the Parrot by criminal or terrorist elements is a potential threat to critical infrastructure," they concluded.
"This is due to their low cost, wide availability, operability in unrestricted airspace and the ability to carry a small but dangerous payload."
Amazon.com Inc. have already said they estimate it will take years to advance the needed technology, and Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations would need to be created to cover the usage.
