Wi-fi Network Appeared on a Delta Air Lines Flight From Las Vegas to Atlanta, Prompting the Cabin Crew to Temporarily Disable the Internet

The airline said no aircraft systems were hacked and flight safety was never compromised. The incident occurred on August 10 aboard Delta Flight 591, a Boeing 757 traveling from Las Vegas to Atlanta, according to CBS News. During the flight, an unauthorized Wi-Fi network briefly appeared.

As a precaution, the cabin crew turned off the aircraft's Wi-Fi feature for about 30 minutes. No emergency notification was made to air traffic control. Delta has launched an investigation to uncover all details and said it will work with federal authorities.

The event is suspected to be an "Evil Twin" attack, where attackers set up a fake access point that mimics a legitimate Wi-Fi network, often with a stronger signal. When users connect to the fake network, hackers can attempt to read their data using various tools. Federal authorities have previously warned about such attacks.

Notably, Delta shared that the major hacker conference DEF CON 34 was held in Las Vegas the weekend immediately before the incident. The airline did not say this was directly linked to the attack, but the timing drew attention.