MobileMesh RF Network Exploitation: Getting the Tea from goTenna

Tactical Mobile Mesh Radios in the Field

False sense of security in devices that guarantee security is worse than no security at all. One device used by personnel who require communication security is goTenna Pro radio that creates an "off-the-grid" encrypted mobile mesh network.This network does not require any traditional cellular or satellite infrastructure and they may be found locally in your community. The datasheet says it is using AES-256 encryption. Has anyone bothered to verify that it is being implemented in the most secure manner? We examined this device and found that it was possible to fingerprint and track every off-the-grid message regardless of encryption. We also identified vulnerabilities that result in interception and decryption of the most secure encryption algorithm AES-256 as well as injection of messages into the existing mesh network. We don’t just trust what datasheets say, we verify it for you. We will explain our testing methodologies and demonstrate exploitation in a live demo. We will discuss the operational implications of these vulnerabilities and safe ways of using these devices that decrease the chance of a compromise. The tools developed as part of this research will be released open-source to inform what was possible to inspire future research against similar devices. We will discuss how we worked with goTenna to remedy these issues.