Malware is no longer limited to PCs, mobile devices, corporate networks and Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets -- your drones are now also vulnerable to hijacking. The use of drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has expanded into the commercial consumer sector within the past few years. Now relatively cheap to produce, tiny, personal UAVs can be purchased and used for a variety of purposes -- from advanced photography to capturing sports and spying upon Apple construction sites. UAVs are no longer held within the domain of war, government surveillance and the like -- and now, a backdoor in popular consumer devices has been discovered which could allow hackers to hijack Parrot AR drones. AR drones, developed by French firm Parrot, are reportedly vulnerable to hacking due to a backdoor discovered by security researcher Rahul Sasi this week. As reported by Hacker News, the AR quadcopter helicopter drone -- controllable via smartphone, tablet, Nvidia Shield console and Epson Moverio display, among others -- is vulnerable to a newly-created malware strain, dubbed Maldrone.

According to the researcher, Maldrone can be used to remotely hijack drones via entry through the backdoor. Developed for the AR drone's ARM Linux system, the malicious code is able to kill a drone's autopilot and take control remotely. "In this we would show infecting a drone with Maldrone and expecting a reverse tcp connection from drone. Once connection is established we can interact with the software as well as drivers/sensors of drone directly. There is an existing AR drone piloting program. Our backdoors kills the autopilot and takes control. The Backdoor is persistent across resets." In an educational demo video explaining the security vulnerability, Sasi says the malware is silently installed on a drone, and allows hackers to control the device remotely -- and able to conduct surveillance. The security researcher writes [spelling edited]: "There are over 70 nations building remotely controllable drones. Most of these drones are capable of making autonomous decisions. Countries buy drones from their neighbors.

What are the possibilities that there could be a backdoor in the drone you brought? What are the possible ways you can backdoor a drone? What would be the impact if security issues are found in computer devices that make decisions of their own?" Malware isn't the only problem related to the increased use of UAVs. This week, the White House's radar system -- designed to detect threats to the presidential building such as flying objects and aircraft -- failed to detect a tiny, personal drone entering the grounds. parrot ar drone 2 kaufenThe tiny, two-foot drone's flight ended when it crashed into the White House's lawn, according to law enforcement officials. ar drone 2 labviewThe UAV was being operated by a government employee recreationally.ar drone parrot troubleshooting

ZDNet has reached out to Parrot and will update if we hear back. Read on: In the world of innovationGoogle hunts for self-driving car partners Samsung hopes to secure top spot in Internet of Things revolution FAA to impose restrictions on commercial drone use Pentagon to sharpen tech edge with robotics, 3D printing, weaponry Waze unveils government data exchange program Google readies Android for the connected carDay 19: Win a Parrot AR.parrot ar drone 4g mod In partnership with ARM, HEXUS is giving all our readers around the globe the chance to win amazing new gadgets this holiday season. pack black ops 2 drone prixEvery day for the next few weeks, we'll be giving away a brand-new gadget powered by the ARM architecture!parrot ar drone protocol

Our amazing array of prizes will include devices from ARM partners such as Asus, Corsair, Lenovo, Nvidia, Razer, Synology and many, many more! Each prize draw will be open for seven days to readers anywhere in the world, so bookmark our dedicated competition page to keep tabs on what's up for grabs and what's coming soon. We're deep into our run of incredible giveaways but the prizes keep on coming. On Day 19 we've teamed up with the gadget fiends at MenKind to give you the chance to win an awesome AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition worth £300! Want to be in with a chance of winning? Simply answer the following question, and don't forget, you can also claim a free second entry via Facebook! Good luck, and check back soon for more prizes in the 2015 Epic Giveaway! There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition. The prize draw is open to HEXUS readers aged 12 years or over. The competition winner will be picked at random from all eligible entries that arrive by midnight of the closing date, January 1, 2016.

Only one entry is permitted per household per HEXUS entry form; second Facebook entries, if applicable, are permitted. Duplicate entries on either form will result in disqualification and no entrant may win more than one prize. The winners will be notified via email by January 8, 2016. The winner must claim their prize within 7 days of the promoter sending notification. If the prize is unclaimed after this time, HEXUS reserves the right to offer the unclaimed prize to a substitute winner selected in accordance with these rules. The prize is an AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition. In the event that the prize offered is unavailable due to circumstances beyond our control, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater specification. Prizes will ship to winners within 45 days of the draw, though we aim for sooner. HEXUS and its partners are responsible for shipping within the criteria laid out and the winner is responsible for local taxes if applicable.

Prize draws are not open to employees of HEXUS and their affiliates, agencies, suppliers, sponsors and members employees' immediate families. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions. A list of previous competition winners is available at HEXUS.net/Competition_Winners. Sign in for the best HEXUS experience Nokia 3310 re-introduced as a colourful curvy candy bar phone Clear images of the Samsung Galaxy S8 spill onto the internet Sony launches four X-Series smartphones LG G6 launched with 5.7-inch FullVision screen at MWC 2017 Metal body Moto G5 and G5 Plus to deliver 'premium for all' QNAP Announces the TS-453Bmini Vertical NASPure Base 600 Window: all-round case now with tempered glass window side panel NZXT launch Aer F - newest addition to Aer series of PWM fans COLORFUL Unleashes the Ultimate Gaming Graphics Card with the GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition Cooler Master Launches MasterWatt Maker 1200 MIJ