Threats · 47 days ago
Delta said the fake in-flight Wi‑Fi incident on flight 591 from Las Vegas to Atlanta is now being reviewed by FBI Atlanta and aviation authorities, after the crew disabled the onboard network for about 30 minutes and pilots alerted air traffic control.
The alleged trick was an “evil twin” hotspot: a lookalike Wi‑Fi network that can pull nearby devices onto a fake login page and harvest whatever passengers enter. Delta said no aircraft systems were affected, but the event still crossed from a passenger nuisance into an operational and federal investigation because the risk is credential theft, not just spotty connectivity.
For airlines and travelers who use captive portals or public Wi‑Fi, the exposure sits in the login path itself. If a fake hotspot can convincingly mimic the real one, the damage can reach passenger accounts and the airline’s disruption response even when the plane’s own systems stay untouched.
4 sources covering this story
DEF CON crowd suspected in fake-hotspot attack on Delta flight
FBI Atlanta confirms it's looking into the incident, no arrests made.
Delta investigates in-flight Wi-Fi spoofing on post-DEF CON flight from Las Vegas
Delta and federal authorities are investigating a rogue Wi-Fi spoofing incident aboard Flight 591 from Las Vegas to Atlanta following DEF CON.
Delta investigating after someone set up fake Wi-Fi network mid-flight | TechCrunch
The Delta flight crew switched off the aircraft's legitimate Wi-Fi network for around 30 minutes due to the incident, according to a spokesperson.
Delta probes Wi-Fi deauth attack on flight carrying DEF CON attendees
Delta Air Lines is investigating an unauthorized Wi-Fi network that appeared aboard a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta carrying passengers who had attended the DEF CON hacker convention.
Part of the PlainSec briefing for 2026-08-12