Delta, FAA probe rogue Wi-Fi network on Las Vegas-to-Atlanta flight carrying DEF CON attendees

A Delta rider pitchy takes disconnected from Harry Reid International Airport Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Delta Air Lines and national authorities are investigating an unauthorized wireless web that appeared aboard a Boeing 757 midflight Monday, soon aft thousands of cybersecurity professionals departed Las Vegas pursuing DEF CON 34, 1 of the world's largest hacking conferences.

Delta Flight 591, carrying 199 passengers and six unit members, was en way from Harry Reid International Airport successful Las Vegas to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport connected Monday erstwhile the rogue web was discovered, according to the airline.

Pilots messaged firm information astir 60 minutes into the formation via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, known arsenic ACARS, reporting that a rider had created a "scam Wi-Fi" web named "Delta WiFi Fast," according to BleepingComputer, a cybersecurity quality tract that archetypal elaborate the ACARS transmissions.

Those messages, independently intercepted by ground-based ACARS receivers and shared publically by an craft technician known online arsenic Turbine Traveller, quoted the unit arsenic reporting: "We person a clump of pax that were astatine a cyber league successful Las Vegas. They were capable to jam our Wi-Fi and broadcast their signal."

The unauthorized hotspot routed connecting passengers to a phishing website designed to harvest Google login credentials, according to View From the Wing, an aviation manufacture commercialized publication. Cybersecurity experts picture the method arsenic an "evil twin" attack, successful which an attacker deploys a rogue Wi-Fi entree constituent that mimics a legitimate, trusted web by cloning its sanction and settings, arsenic CyberScoop, a cybersecurity quality outlet, reported.

Cabin unit unopen down the plane's Wi-Fi for astir 30 minutes arsenic a precaution. Delta confirmed nary exigency was declared with aerial postulation control.

"Safety of formation was ne'er successful question, and nary craft operating systems were affected. We are afloat investigating to stitchery a implicit acceptable of facts, which volition instrumentality time," Delta said successful a connection provided to aggregate outlets, including CBS News Atlanta and WSB-TV, the Atlanta ABC affiliate. "We volition spouse with national instrumentality enforcement and aviation regulators to guarantee the incidental is thoroughly investigated. We convey our unit for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."

Delta said an archetypal reappraisal confirmed the web was not provided, operated oregon supplied by the airline, and the institution has not determined whether immoderate rider accusation was compromised.

The Atlanta bureau of the FBI acknowledged consciousness of the incidental but declined further comment, CyberScoop reported. The Transportation Security Administration referred inquiries to the FBI. The FAA said it was looking into the study and noted that a breach of an onboard Wi-Fi strategy would not impact a flight's captious information systems, CyberScoop reported.

FBI agents met the level astatine the gross upon its accomplishment successful Atlanta and questioned passengers and confiscated devices, according to TechCrunch, the exertion quality site. No arrests had been announced arsenic of Wednesday.

DEF CON spokesperson Monika Hathaway told Bloomberg, the fiscal and concern quality organization, that league organizers had not been contacted by Delta oregon instrumentality enforcement but planned to motorboat their ain investigation.

"DEF CON does not promote oregon condone amerciable activities," Hathaway said. "If 1 of our attendees was involved, we volition prohibition them from attending successful the aboriginal and apologize to everyone affected."

DEF CON, which bills itself arsenic the world's largest hacking and information conference, was founded successful 1993 by Jeff Moss and has grown into a large yearly lawsuit successful Las Vegas attracting cybersecurity professionals, researchers, authorities officials and exertion enthusiasts.

Interfering with in-flight Wi-Fi is prohibited by the FCC, and a phishing login leafage could represent further national violations, according to Tom's Hardware, a exertion quality and reappraisal publication.