Darknavy gains full administrative control over SpaceX’s user terminal allowing research into the system’s security programmes
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenZhang Tongin BeijingPublished: 11:00pm, 3 Sep 2026A team of cybersecurity experts has announced they successfully compromised the latest Starlink user terminals, crossing the security boundaries of the world’s largest satellite constellation.In a post on its social media account on Tuesday, Darknavy, an independent cybersecurity research institute headquartered in Singapore and Shanghai, said it had used sophisticated hardware attacks to gain full administrative control over the terminals, allowing it to run any custom code on the devices.This gives researchers unprecedented freedom, according to the pot, by reopening a long-missing entry point for in-depth security studies of the Starlink satellite system.
As newer satellites are gradually equipped with laser links, some satellites can also communicate directly with one another via laser, reducing reliance on ground stations while improving transmission speeds and expanding global coverage.
The terminal acts as both an antenna and a router, making it a critical node for direct communication with the satellites. Until now, research into the satellite system’s security had largely stalled because the terminals could not be hacked.
