DJI Matrice 4T cracked: Russian hackers militarise the drone's firmware

The DJI Matrice 4T from the Chinese drone market leader has been on the market for almost a year – and has now been “defeated”, reports the Russian Telegram channel Ural Drone Hub. What this means: Russia can now flash the drone's firmware and thus use it for military purposes.

Ural Drone Hub adds one caveat: not every capability of the legendary 1001 firmware, which exists for the Mavic and Matrice 3 models, can yet be transferred to the successor model. For the time being, the militarised firmware is therefore called “777”.

With firmware 777, the Russian hackers have removed the Drone ID or Remote ID. This works like a digital licence plate through which the drone can be identified remotely. Because it is mandatory in many countries – throughout the European Union, for example, through the European Union Aviation Safety Agency – it is part of the software package.

The NFZ restrictions (no-fly zones) have also been lifted. These are stored in the software and prevent the drone from being operated in regulated areas.

A new option to switch off GPS has also been added. The altitude limits have been removed, as has the rule not to climb higher than 60 metres without GPS. Country-specific restrictions no longer apply. In addition, further frequencies in the 5 GHz band could be unlocked.

Where the DJI Matrice 4T hack reaches its limits

The attempt at FCC unlocking has apparently been unsuccessful so far. Such an unlock allows the drone and remote controller to operate at a transmission power well above the legally permitted values. For the Mavic 3, this meant a jump from 25 mW and 4 channels to 700 mW and 8 channels.

According to Ural Drone Hub, some Matrice 4T drones cannot be flashed; this cannot be fixed. The channel explicitly stresses to its users that the hack is approved only for use in the SVO zone of the “special military operation” (Russian attack on Ukraine).

Notably, breaking into the manufacturer's firmware took considerably longer this time than with the predecessors of the 3 series. DJI has repeatedly criticised the military use of its civilian drones and taken various protective measures – mostly with limited success. In the case of the current model, however, DJI appears to have succeeded in countering the hacker scene with much more effective measures against misuse.

Such software modifications are in demand not only in the military. Numerous guides circulate online that are intended to free commercial drones from legal and regulatory restrictions.