Ground Control to Major Threat Hacking the Space Link Extension Protocol
Andrzej Olch
DEF CON 32 Creator Stage · Day 1 · Creator Stage
In his DEF CON 32 talk, "Ground Control to Major Threat: Hacking the Space Link Extension Protocol," Andrzej Olch challenges conventional wisdom regarding space system security. While much of the public and industry discussion around hacking satellites tends to focus on directly targeting the spacecraft itself—the **space segment**—Olch argues that the **ground segment** presents a far more accessible and vulnerable attack surface. His presentation introduces the **Space Link Extension (SLE) protocol**, a critical component of ground-based space communications, and outlines the methodology for identifying and exploiting its weaknesses.