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Lebanon’s health minister says 8 killed, 2,750 wounded by exploding pagers (www.aljazeera.com)

submitted 1 month ago by technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] LustyArgonianMana@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Anyone else confused about how these bombs are actually detonating? Articles say they are detonating via a text message sent 3x in error, theoretically causing either a spark or a "closed circuit" like a different article explained. The article (from al jazeera) says they have to look at the message but there's video of one igniting in a bag.

I'm curious because I think these pagers may actually constitute a public safety risk, similar to how heavily landmined areas risk exploding even decades later on someone unrelated to the initial conflict.

[–] KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nothing in an electronic device, save for a very overvolted capacitor, could come anywhere near to as explosive as these were. Even LiPo batteries don't explode like that.

These were explosives planted in the devices when being manufactured.

Not sure if you've seen videos of the explosions or the aftermath.

[–] LustyArgonianMana@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Both, al jazeera source says the explosive inside is PETN. What I'm asking is how tf did text messages and whatever in the walkie talkies ignite a spark strong enough to ignite the PETN? Is that true? Or is it possible some of these are still live or ignited in a faulty way? What is the risk to the public?

Afaik such an idea was nonsense previously. Why are we taking their word that this is sophisticated at any level when they've been simply brutal up to now?

[–] dgriffith@aussie.zone 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

What I'm asking is how tf did text messages and whatever in the walkie talkies ignite a spark strong enough to ignite the PETN?

Pager with firmware that activates an output on date/time X/Y and triggers an ignition signal. That signal is sent o an actual detonator in the device, which sets off the explosive.

Radio with DTMF receiver that activates an output when, for example, touchtone 4 is received over the air, or alternatively if the radio has GPS, another date/time activation via firmware.

Both of these things are relatively trivial for a nation-state to pull off.

So yes, in both cases it's possible that faulty devices are still around. However, if all the rest of your group has had exploding pagers and radios, most people in the same group would have dropped their still-working pager or radio into a bucket of water by now. There's probably a few, and they're probably being carefully taken apart right now to see how it was done.

Afaik such an idea was nonsense previously.

It's not nonsense, it just takes planning and resources. And now that people know it is possible, buying and using any sort of equipment for your group without having the nagging concern there might be a bomb in it is impossible. And that's a pretty powerful limiter.

[–] LustyArgonianMana@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Thanks, here's another article about this:

https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/media-center-blog/2024/09/19/expert-pitch-from-communication-devices-to-deadly-tools-wvu-researcher-elaborates-on-explosive-potential-of-pagers-and-walkie-talkies

The process of sabotage begins with physical modification of the pager or personal radio. These devices already contain all the essential components for an explosive device: a power source — the battery, a container — the device casing, and a triggering mechanism —the communication circuitry. The addition of a detonator and explosive charge converts them into remote-controlled bombs. A microcontroller is typically embedded within the device to interface with its circuitry, allowing it to detonate in response to external signals.

“The triggering mechanism for these devices relies primarily on radio frequency signals, as both pagers and walkie-talkies operate on radio frequency bands. In the case of pagers, a unique radio frequency signal can be transmitted over the paging network. The modified pager, programmed to listen for this specific signal, activates the detonator when the correct frequency and signal pattern are detected.

“Similarly, a walkie-talkie can be set to a predetermined channel and frequency. When the matching radio frequency signal is received, the microcontroller closes the circuit, triggering the explosion.

“To ensure precise activation, the microcontroller can be programmed to recognize a unique sequence of tones or signal modulations, minimizing the risk of accidental detonation. This setup requires careful pre-programming and maybe signal testing, often involving encryption or authentication sequences to prevent unintended triggering.

“The combination of radio frequency signals with an embedded microcontroller enables remote activation. It takes a high level of technical expertise to modify these low-tech communication tools into sophisticated remote-controlled weapons.”