DRONEWARZ
DRONE AND ROBOTICS HACKING RESEARCH
DroneWarz (dronewarz.org) was one of the Cyber Defense Center's first hands-on research programs dedicated to exploring the security of emerging technologies such as unmanned aerial systems and robotics through live adversarial simulation, engineering, and community-driven innovation.
Originally launched within the DefCon R00tz program and later expanded into a full-scale hacking village, DroneWarz brought together security researchers, engineers, students, and industry leaders to explore a rapidly emerging problem space: how drones can be hacked, manipulated, defended, and ultimately secured in real-world environments.
From DefCon 23 through DefCon 27, DroneWarz evolved from a youth-focused robotics initiative into one of the most dynamic and widely discussed villages at DefCon. Participants did not just study drone security, they experienced it in real time, engaging with active systems in controlled environments designed to simulate real-world threats and adversarial conditions.
The program introduced a unique approach to cybersecurity training and research by combining:
- physical drone systems
- RF communications and telemetry analysis
- embedded payload development
- offensive and defensive cyber techniques
- live competitive environments and capture-the-flag scenarios
ARCHIVE
This page serves as the official historical archive of the DroneWarz program, now folded into Force Labs and maintained by the Cyber Defense Center.
The purpose of preserving this work is threefold:
1. Document the Research
DroneWarz explored critical vulnerabilities and emerging threats in UAV and autonomous systems before they became widely recognized security concerns.
2. Preserve the Community Contribution
The program was built and operated by a dedicated community of volunteers, researchers, and partners who contributed to advancing drone security knowledge.
3. Enable Future Innovation
The concepts, games, and research developed through DroneWarz continue to inform modern work in:
- drone defense
- swarm security
- cyber-physical systems
- autonomous threat modeling
THE OFFICIAL LOGOS OF DRONEWARZ
THE FUN AT DRONEWARZ
THE DRONEWARZ experience
From R00tz to Full Village
From R00tz to Full Village
DefCon (Primary Village) | R00tz Asylum
- DefCon 23–25
R00tz youth program, robotics and early drone experimentation - DefCon 26
Launch of DroneWarz as a full hacking village - DefCon 27
Largest and most talked about village at DefCon - DefCon 28
Planned expansion cancelled due to COVID
Other National Venues
From R00tz to Full Village
DroneWarz was designed as a live cyber-physical research environment, where participants could engage drones, controllers, and autonomous systems through hands-on challenges, competitive objectives, and collaborative experimentation. DroneWarz participated in several other national venues in addition to Defcon including:
- InfoSec World
- CornCon
- InfoWarCon
- Baltimore Cyber Day
- Additional community events
challenge arenas
The DroneWarz Village was built around a series of structured challenge arenas, each representing a different aspect of drone and autonomous system security.
PWN-a-DR0NE
Focused on direct drone exploitation. Participants identified vulnerabilities and developed methods to manipulate drones in flight or in operation.
Conquer the Controller
Explored control system and RF vulnerabilities. Participants attempted to intercept, disrupt, or take control of drone communications and ground control systems.
INNOVATION ARENAS
These arenas led to games being built, awards, and new drone concepts presented at Defcon.
Payloadz (RedSkyz)
An offensive development environment where participants built and deployed payloads using Raspberry Pi and Arduino platforms. These payloads enabled experimentation with signal interception, evasion, and advanced drone capabilities.
Missionz (BlueSkyz)
A defensive and forensic arena. Participants analyzed captured drones to reconstruct missions, identify payloads, determine flight paths, and attribute activity.
DroneZone
An open innovation lab and makerspace. Participants could build, modify, and test drones, payloads, and hardware concepts in a collaborative environment.
CTF OBJectives
DroneWarz introduced a unique set of drone-centric capture-the-flag objectives designed to simulate adversarial scenarios across offensive, defensive, and analytical domains.
Examples included:
- @TT@CK / D3F3ND
Development of offensive and defensive payload capabilities integrated into drone systems - 0WN’d / PWN’d
Active and passive exploitation of drones through remote or manual interfaces - B@TTL3
A live drone combat CTF arena where teams competed for flags in a dynamic, multi-team environment
These objectives bridged multiple domains, including RF communications, embedded systems, forensics, and adversarial simulation.
SPONSOR OBJECTIVES
Objectives were also presented by sponsors for research or discovery. These were designed to blend traditional cybersecurity challenges with real-world UAV systems.
Other examples included:
- S@F3TY / R1GHT0FW@Y / R3G1ST3R Research-driven objectives focused on race integrity, airspace control, and emerging regulatory frameworks
- $T3@LTH / 3XPL01T Development of stealth techniques and discovery of new vulnerabilities in commercial drone platforms
- D1SC0V3R Forensic reconstruction of drone missions, including flight path, payload, and operator identification
- INT3RC3PT / D1$RUPT / V1S10N Interception, disruption, and manipulation of drone control systems and FPV (first-person view) technologies
GAMES
DroneWarz extended beyond traditional challenges into fully interactive, competitive games designed to simulate real-world drone scenarios.
Drone Combat CTF Arena
Teams deployed drones in a controlled arena to capture flags, disrupt opponents, and dominate the airspace.
Drone Seeker
A search-and-locate game where participants identified hidden or active drones using RF, visual, and telemetry analysis.
Vision Quest
A frequency-rich environment challenge where participants tracked FPV camera feeds to locate targets.
Drop a Drone
Participants attempted to bring down a drone in flight using non-kinetic techniques such as signal manipulation and control disruption.
These games created a high-energy, adversarial environment that blended competition with real-world security challenges.
ENTERTAINMENT
DroneWarz was designed to be both a research platform and a spectator experience, making it one of the most engaging villages at DefCon.
- Live drone combat and CTF battles
- FPV (first-person view) demonstrations using FatShark systems
- Drone racing simulators and Tiny Whoop races
- Interactive hacking challenges accessible to attendees
- Community participation, including audience interaction in live games
- Live presentations on multiple stages.
- Research presentations by collegiate teams.
- Training on payload/STORM and drone build workstations.
The village created an environment where research, competition, and entertainment converged, drawing significant attention from attendees and media.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
At its core, DroneWarz was a forward-looking research initiative focused on understanding and securing drone and autonomous systems.
Key research areas included:
- RF communication vulnerabilities and interception
- Drone control system manipulation
- Payload-based offensive and defensive capabilities
- Autonomous system behavior and adversarial interaction
- Drone forensics and mission attribution
- Swarm concepts and coordinated drone operations
The program also explored advanced concepts such as:
- wireless-enabled drone attack platforms
- defensive ground control systems
- counter-drone strategies
- early-stage research into navigation and positioning manipulation in contested environments
DroneWarz provided a rare opportunity to observe, test, and refine these concepts in live environments, bridging the gap between theoretical research and real-world application.
THE SPONSORS OF DRONEWARZ
THE PARTNERS OF DRONEWARZ
WHY THE CYBER DEFENSE CENTER SPONSORED THIS PROGRAM
SPONSORSHIP OVERVIEW
DroneWarz was sponsored and supported as a forward-looking research initiative to explore emerging risks in:
- unmanned aerial systems (UAS)
- autonomous platforms
- RF-based control systems
- cyber-physical attack surfaces
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
At the time, drone security was largely unexplored in practical environments. The Cyber Defense Center recognized early that:
- drones would become widespread in commercial and government use
- RF and GPS dependencies introduced new attack vectors
- swarm and autonomous behavior would create new threat models
WARTIME IMPLICATIONS
Many DroneWarz scenarios mirrored conditions now seen in modern conflicts, where drones are used for:
- reconnaissance and targeting
- electronic warfare and signal disruption
- coordinated swarm operations
- battlefield surveillance and situational awareness
The adversarial structure of DroneWarz games allowed participants to experiment with:
- contested airspace dynamics
- multi-actor engagement
- drone-on-drone interaction
- control and counter-control strategies
These environments demonstrated how small, inexpensive systems could have outsized operational impact, particularly when coordinated or deployed at scale.
THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY
While presented as competitive games, these scenarios directly reflected emerging global security concerns.
DroneWarz anticipated a future where:
- drones are used for surveillance, disruption, and targeted operations
- low-cost UAVs become accessible tools for both state and non-state actors
- RF and GPS dependencies create exploitable attack surfaces
- autonomous systems operate in increasingly contested environments
The games provided early insight into how these threats could manifest and be countered through:
- detection
- interception
- disruption
Transference to OT, Autonomous Systems, and Robotics
Drones offered a fun and engaging technology platform to explore our primary research mandates. Therefore, the principles explored in DroneWarz intentionally extended well beyond drones.
The same vulnerabilities and control mechanisms apply to:
- industrial control systems (ICS)
- operational technology (OT) environments
- robotics platforms
- autonomous vehicles and systems
Key parallels include:
- remote command and control dependencies
- sensor manipulation and data integrity risks
- communication protocol exploitation
- autonomous decision-making under adversarial conditions
DroneWarz effectively created a microcosm of cyber-physical system security, where lessons learned from UAV interactions could be applied to broader domains.
Beyond the Game
DroneWarz demonstrated that games can serve as powerful tools for:
- modeling complex threat environments
- accelerating learning through competition
- testing defensive and offensive strategies in real time
What appeared as entertainment on the surface was, in practice, a structured exploration of the future battlespace, where cyber and physical systems converge.
THE STICKERS | SHIRTS | PATCHES OF DRONEWARZ
THE DRONEWARZ LEADERSHIP
