Federal authorities are investigating an incident involving Delta flight 591 traveling from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Monday, in which passengers allegedly created an unauthorized Wi-Fi network aboard the aircraft. The incident occurred one day after the DEF CON security conference concluded in Las Vegas.
According to publicly available air-to-ground communications known as ACARS, pilots reported that passengers from the cyber conference had successfully jammed the plane’s Wi-Fi system and broadcast their own signal. Social media accounts monitoring ACARS messages indicated that the unauthorized network was disguised as “Delta WiFi Fast” and featured a phishing landing page designed to capture passengers’ personal login credentials. This type of attack, referred to as an “evil twin” exploit, involves creating a fake wireless network to intercept user data and has long been recognized within the information technology security community.
Delta Airlines confirmed the basic facts of the incident to reporters. A spokesperson stated that an unauthorized Wi-Fi network not operated or provided by the airline was present on the aircraft for a brief period during the flight. The airline emphasized that flight safety was never compromised and that no aircraft operating systems were affected by the incident. The legitimate onboard Wi-Fi service was disabled for approximately 30 minutes while the situation was addressed.
FBI Atlanta confirmed it is investigating the matter. Agency officials stated that no arrests have been made in connection with the incident and that FBI agents did not intercept the flight upon arrival at the gate. The investigation remains ongoing, with federal authorities coordinating with local and corporate partners.
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