Dive Brief:

• Colby Moore, a researcher with cybersecurity firm Synack, said he recently intercepted and decoded data from Globalstar's GPS satellite network.

• Many companies use location data beamed from GPS trackers to ensure their products or equipment stay on track.

• The researcher said none of the data being shared between the GPS trackers and base stations
  was encrypted.

Dive Insight:

Globalstar said it was not aware of any flaw. "This type of situation has never been an issue to date," company representative Allison Hoffman said.

Aviation could be at particular risk from the flaw, according to Moore, because planes transmit their location using Globalstar's system. Lockheed Martin Flight Service, which collects pilots' flight plans, signed a deal with Globalstar in June.

Moore said that because so many satellites are already in space, the most logical fix would likely be to add security features to the devices on Earth. He plans to present his findings at the Black Hat hacking conference next week.