Effects of GPS Spoofing on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are no longer exclusively for military or scientific use. These vehicles have been growing in popularity among hobbyists and also as solutions for specific industrial activities. The flying characteristics and the absence of a crew on board of these devices allow them to perform a wide variety of activities, which can be inaccessible to humans or may threat their life. Despite their benefits, they also bring up major concerns regarding security breaches in the flight controller software, which may lead to security problems (e.g., vehicle hijacking by attackers), safety issues (e.g., crashing the vehicle into a planned area or building), or privacy concerns (e.g., eavesdropping or stealing video footage). GPS spoofing is one the main threats to UAVs. The predictability and knowledge of GPS signal properties create conditions for attackers to assume control of the UAV and use it for their own objectives. In this paper, the GPS spoofing effect on UAVs is analyzed, through a series of tests, in a simulation environment. The results are shown in terms of the deviation from the original trajectory and attack success, and are analyzed over time and by attack type.