The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a public warning after a wave of cyber intrusions allowed hackers to hijack radio transmission equipment across multiple states. These attacks resulted in stations unintentionally broadcasting fake emergency alerts, simulated Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones and, in several cases, obscene or offensive audio.
The FCC said recent incidents in Texas and Virginia were caused by attackers compromising poorly secured Barix network audio modules. By exploiting default passwords or outdated firmware, threat actors were able to replace legitimate station programming with their own audio streams, including fake EAS signals designed to mimic real alerts.
Compromised Barix Devices at the Center of the Attacks
The Barix devices involved are widely used in the radio industry to route and stream audio. According to the FCC, hackers reconfigured these units remotely, allowing them to insert unauthorized audio at any time. Because the injected signals included genuine or simulated alert tones, listeners could easily confuse the broadcasts with real emergency notifications.
The agency stressed that this type of attack undermines public trust in critical emergency systems and warned that misuse of the EAS tones can carry substantial penalties.
FCC Urges Broadcasters to Strengthen Device Security
Broadcasters were urged to immediately secure their equipment by:
Changing all default passwords
Updating firmware to the latest version
Blocking unnecessary network access
Performing regular security checks on connected devices
The FCC also encouraged stations to review any equipment that communicates with emergency alerting systems, as similar vulnerabilities could be exploited in the future.
A Growing Trend of Abuse Targeting Emergency Communications
The warning follows a broader trend of attackers probing weaknesses in public communication infrastructure. While this wave involved radio equipment, other recent incidents include ransomware targeting emergency alert services, 911 dispatch systems and civic notification platforms.
The FCC emphasised that preventing unauthorized use of EAS tones is essential to maintaining public confidence in emergency communication, especially during severe weather or large-scale incidents.
