A Study on Drone Hacking: Vulnerabilities and Mitigation Techniques

Year : 2025 | Volume : 01 | Issue : 02 | Page : 1 8
    By

    Syed Salman Naqvi,

  1. Independent Researcher, Cyber Security Specialist, Hobart, TAS 7000, Launceston, Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia

Abstract

This paper explores the current cybersecurity landscape surrounding Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. With rapid growth in commercial and recreational drone use, the risk of cyber-attacks has also increased. This study highlights real-world vulnerabilities such as GPS spoofing, Wi-Fi hijacking, and firmware exploitation. It also suggests practical mitigation techniques, including encryption, real-time anomaly detection using machine learning, and secure communication protocols. The goal is to support researchers, developers, and regulators in creating more secure drone systems.

What are the main findings?
The research provides actionable guidance for engineers and regulators in securing drone operations.
Findings support the development of robust cybersecurity frameworks for drone integration in civilian and defense sectors.

What is the implication of the main finding?
The identification of real-world vulnerabilities like GPS spoofing, Wi-Fi hijacking, and firmware exploits underscores that drone manufacturers and integrators must bake robust security measures—such as encrypted communications, authenticated GPS modules, and digitally signed firmware—into every stage of system design rather than treating security as an afterthought.

To keep pace with evolving cyber threats, operators and regulators alike will need to adopt and enforce standards around practices such as real-time anomaly detection (leveraging lightweight ML models onboard), rotating encryption keys, and frequency-hopping RF protocols, ensuring that both commercial and recreational drone deployments maintain a baseline of resilience against sophisticated attacks.

Keywords: Unmanned aerial systems: drone cyber security: GPS spoofing: Wifi hijacking

[This article belongs to International Journal on Drones ]

How to cite this article:
Syed Salman Naqvi. A Study on Drone Hacking: Vulnerabilities and Mitigation Techniques. International Journal on Drones. 2025; 01(02):1-8.
How to cite this URL:
Syed Salman Naqvi. A Study on Drone Hacking: Vulnerabilities and Mitigation Techniques. International Journal on Drones. 2025; 01(02):1-8. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijd/article=2025/view=227626


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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 01
Issue 02
Received 24/07/2025
Accepted 08/09/2025
Published 18/09/2025
Publication Time 56 Days
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