A short history of hacked billboards and road signs
Hacked roadside billboards are in the news again, so it felt like a good time to take a look back on some of the more notable incidents that have caught the mediaâs attention in the pastâŚ
January 2009
No, you donât have to worry about a botnet bombarding you. Itâs zombies in Austin, Texas, you have to watch out for.
âZOMBIES AHEADâ
May 2012
Practical jokers meddled with a a road sign to warn drivers of an invasion from Skaroâs much-feared tin pepperpots:
âWARNING DALEKS AHEADâ
January 2015
Itâs a new year, but mischief-makers have quickly forgotten their resolution not to f**k around with road signs.
Need a New Year resolution, maybe? "Read a f'n book" says #DTLA electronic street sign pic.twitter.com/3iJhOsDg3X
â Daina Beth Solomon (@dainabethcita) January 9, 2015
At least theyâre encouraging literacyâŚ
May 2015
Hackers remotely attacked an electronic billboard display to show the obscene Goatse image (Donât Google it. If you donât know what Goatse is, consider yourself lucky. Youâve been warned.) to motorists and passers-by in the affluent uptown Buckhead district of Atlanta.
August 2017
Naughty Welsh hackers meddled with a billboard on Cardiffâs main shopping street, to display swastikas, far-right images, and Big Brother.
As Carole Theriault discussed on an episode of the âSmashing Securityâ podcast, the hackers seized control of the digital advertising display after stealing its TeamViewer login credentials and locking out its genuine operator.
September 2019
Itâs not all zombies and porn, sometimes road sign hackers can comment on topical political news stories.
Oh those naughty roadsign hackers⌠https://t.co/FaXdGm4uOB
â Graham Cluley (@gcluley) September 27, 2019
âIMPEACH THE BASTARDâ
September 2019
And, back to porn againâŚ
Drivers on the interstate in Auburn Hills, Michigan, were greeted by an eyebrow-raising sight: a pornographic movie featuring adult actresses Xev Bellringer and Princess Leia (with a possible bit part played by an unidentified gentleman).
I'm flattered, but keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the steering wheel! Get off at the next exit, if you must đ https://t.co/gcfOU8q7Ik
â Xev Bellringer (@xev_bellringer) September 30, 2019
Police posted video footage of two suspects breaking into a shed containing the computer which was controlling the billboard.
We discussed the whole sordid affair with the type of gravitas it rightly deserves on an episode of the âSmashing Securityâ podcast.
Although lists like this can be amusing, we shouldnât ignore that thereâs a serious side to this.
Hacked electronic billboards and road signs can be a huge distraction for motorists, and itâs easy to imagine how an accident could occur which might result in a driver or pedestrian being injured⌠or worse.
Iâm sure most of these roadside defacements are being done with mischief in mind, exploiting default passwords, a lack of multi-factor authentication, poorly-maintained systems, and sloppy security (sometimes itâs poor computer security, sometimes physical, not uncommonly itâs both).
In short, if you hack a road sign or electronic billboard you might gain the attention of the media but youâre not proving that you have done anything âcleverâ or ânovelâ. There are rarely leet hacking skills on show in such attacks, and no-one who knows anything about security is going to be remotely impressed.
Nonetheless, because you may be putting public safety at risk, donât be surprised if law enforcement officers fail to see the funny side of your roadside prank.
Gloss