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Study Finds Widespread Unencrypted Satellite Links Exposing Calls, Data and Military Traffic

A newly published UCSD–UMD study shows that off‑the‑shelf gear can passively capture cleartext GEO traffic.

Getty / Futurism
A new study reveals that half of global satellite signals leak unencrypted data—including military, telecom, and corporate communications.
satellite antenna
Space based laser attacking reconnaissance satellite

Overview

  • From a San Diego rooftop over three years, researchers scanned 39 geostationary satellites and 411 transponders, finding about half of captured signals carried cleartext IP traffic.
  • Using roughly $600–$800 in consumer hardware, the team passively intercepted cellular backhaul, in‑flight Wi‑Fi, corporate networks, and US and Mexican military and law‑enforcement communications.
  • A nine‑hour session of T‑Mobile backhaul revealed phone numbers, call audio, SMS content, and metadata for about 2,700 users, with similar exposures observed for AT&T Mexico, Telmex, and KPU.
  • After notifications between December 2024 and July 2025, T‑Mobile, Walmart, and AT&T Mexico implemented encryption, yet some critical‑infrastructure links remain unremediated according to the study.
  • The setup saw only about 15% of active GEO satellites while a single transponder can cover up to roughly 40% of Earth, indicating a larger global exposure that may take years to fix.