Pager explosion in Lebanon: how could this happen?

[Friend]

The Lebanese tragedy raises questions about the security of technology.

Today's pager bombings in Lebanon have shocked the country, claimed lives and raised many questions. How could conventional communication devices have caused such a disaster? We will look at several theories that can explain what happened, from the most likely to the most conspiratorial.

Remote detonation of devices​

The first version is the use of modified pagers with built-in explosive devices that can be activated remotely. Modern technologies make it possible to build chips into ordinary electronic devices that can be triggered when a radio signal is applied or activated at a certain frequency. Theoretically, attackers could have prepared these pagers in advance, and then, using technology such as radio control or directed electromagnetic radiation, caused an explosion. Such a scenario seems quite realistic, especially given the tensions in the region and the existence of complex remote control systems. We've seen similar developments in military technology before, and the ability to integrate explosive devices into pagers only underscores how technologically and discreetly terrorist attacks can be organized.

This scenario is reminiscent of the plot of the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, where explosive devices built into phones are massively activated at the touch of a button. While this seems like science fiction, the reality shows that controlling explosions remotely is becoming increasingly possible.

Cyberattack on communication devices​

The second version involves the use of a cyberattack to blow up pagers. Modern communication devices, including pagers, have digital components and, as a result, vulnerabilities in software. Hackers could gain control of these devices by causing them to overheat or otherwise malfunction, which would lead to explosions. Possible vulnerabilities could be in encryption systems, signal management, or even in the batteries of the devices themselves. If attackers used vulnerabilities in the software to reboot pagers before overheating, this could lead to a chain reaction of explosions.

Such a scenario is plausible, especially given how rapidly cyber warfare methods are evolving. Hacking devices that seem simple and outdated at first glance is not uncommon. In a world where smartphones and computers are regularly attacked, why not assume that the same could happen to pagers? Moreover, cyberattacks could have been organized in order to affect groups that use such devices for communication.

One can recall the infamous Stuxnet virus, which was designed to sabotage nuclear facilities in Iran by infecting equipment through software vulnerabilities. The pager explosions could be the result of similar cyberwarfare tactics.

Supply chain compromise​

Another version may be a compromise of the supply chain, when pagers were already equipped with hidden explosive components at the production or delivery stage. This scenario is often viewed in the context of a global trade war and corporate espionage. In theory, suppliers or even government agencies could deliberately introduce the modified devices into Lebanon in order to activate them at the right time. In a global marketplace where supply chains can easily be disrupted, such actions could go unnoticed until the very last moment.

Many experts have repeatedly emphasized the danger of compromised supply chains, and this only underscores how difficult it is to track the security of every device passing through dozens of countries and hundreds of companies before reaching the end user.

Conspiracy theories​

For those who like to consider more exotic versions, it can be assumed that the pager explosions were the result of the application of advanced technologies such as electromagnetic pulses or even manipulation of ion fields. Some conspiracy theories claim that super-powerful technology has long been used by secret governments or corporations to control groups of people. For example, there is an opinion that such devices may be "sleeper agents" in the hands of secret organizations that activate them at certain moments to create chaos.

These theories, although they seem unlikely, always pop up in such incidents. Let's remember Kingsman again, where such technologies lead to total chaos. Perhaps such scenarios are not so far from reality, given the rapid development of science and technology.

While the causes of the explosions remain unclear, there are many versions explaining what happened - from technical malfunctions to targeted attacks. In any case, this event highlights the vulnerability of even the most simple-looking devices and the importance of protecting them. Technologies that we consider secure and outdated can become a real threat in the hands of attackers, making the security and control of such devices key to prevent similar incidents in the future.

And what's next?​

Pager explosions raise important questions about the future of electronic device security. Can modern gadgets contain "bookmarks" — hidden components that can be activated remotely? Yes, such a threat exists, especially in devices with imported filling. Increasingly dangerous technologies, such as biological and chemical weapons, can also be integrated into systems that appear harmless.

The future of digital security requires enhanced control and thorough verification of supply chains, especially in critical industries. Countering such threats will be an important task for the international community.

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[Friend]

Massive pager explosions in Lebanon: more than 2500 victims.
Malfunction or cyberattack? Who could have arranged such a thing at all?

On Tuesday, September 17, more than two thousand people, many of them fighters of the militant organization Hezbollah, were injured as a result of the explosion of pagers throughout Lebanon, Reuters reports. A Hezbollah spokesman, who asked not to be named, called the event "the biggest security failure" in nearly a year of standoff with Israel.

Since last October, fighting on Lebanon's southern border between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah has continued. These events were part of a wider conflict that began with the war in Gaza.

Iran's Mehr news agency reported that Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amanni was injured in one of the explosions. However, this information has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, the Israeli military declined to comment on the pager incident.

A Reuters journalist reported that ambulances were spotted in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which are controlled by Hezbollah, amid panic among the local population. Pager explosions were also recorded in the southern regions of Lebanon. At local hospitals, eyewitnesses observed wounded people arriving at the emergency room, many of them with injuries that included injuries to the face, eyes and limbs.

The wave of explosions lasted about an hour from the moment of the first detonations, which began at 15:45 local time. The causes of the incident have not yet been clarified, but it is already obvious that the explosions were launched by someone deliberately and remotely. How exactly this was implemented technically is currently anyone's guess, but several plausible versions are already being actively discussed on the Internet:

• Remote detonation of devices. If the pagers were modified or had additional components built into them, the attackers could remotely activate the explosive devices through a specific signal or frequency.
• Cyberattack on communication devices. Modern pagers may have digital components that are vulnerable to hacker attacks. Attackers could exploit vulnerabilities in software to overload devices, causing them to overheat and eventually explode.
• Supply chain compromise. If the pagers were obtained from an untrusted supplier, they may have originally installed malicious components that could cause an explosion on signal.

The Lebanese Internal Security Forces said that several wireless devices were detonated in various parts of the country, especially in the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing a large number of casualties. The Lebanese Ministry of Health, through its crisis centre, has called on all health workers to report to their hospitals as soon as possible to treat the injured.

In addition, all local residents were advised to temporarily refrain from using pagers. The Lebanese Red Cross has dispatched more than 50 ambulances and 300 medical personnel to evacuate the wounded.

UPD1: According to the Associated Press, the number of wounded has risen to 2750 people, and the death toll has reached eight people.

UPD2: According to local media, the pager model used during the mass explosions is the Apollo Rugged Pager (AR-924). Anonymous sources are inclined to believe that the devices were deliberately modified: explosives were added inside. There has been no official confirmation of this yet.

 

[Man]

Reuters journalists learned new details of the operation with the explosion of thousands of pagers.

The first part of the investigation is devoted to how explosives and a detonator were hidden in the pager. Based on the photographs and the source's account, reporters concluded that a plate of PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) explosive was placed between the two batteries. The remaining space between them was occupied by a flammable substance that served as a detonator and was not visible on the X-ray. Presumably, a spark appeared inside this three-layer block, igniting the detonator, after which an explosion occurred. But how exactly this happened, the journalists did not find out. The battery was packed in a plastic sleeve and then in a metal shell. Reuters found that Hezbollah carefully checked the pagers, but did not find any explosives. Although some points could alert them. So, the interlocutors of Reuters drew attention to the fact that a normal battery of the same weight, in theory, should have a much larger energy reserve than a three-layer one with explosives. Allegedly, Hezbollah even noticed that the pager was discharging too quickly, but did not take it seriously.

The second part of the investigation is devoted to creating a legend for a pager and a battery – convincing enough for Hezbollah. To use the recognizable brand of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, a certain "Tom" hired a former employee of this company. Through her, he met the manager and received a license from him to produce his own product under the Gold Apollo brand. The head of Gold Apollo was not impressed with Tom's AR-924, but he posted photos of it on his website anyway. The company "Toma" had its own website, where a pager and a battery were advertised (there is even an advertising video in the article). But also for the operation, two fake websites of battery stores were created, and on specialized battery forums, a discussion of the high quality of batteries was imitated. In short, "Tom" and his colleagues worked hard to create a semblance of a real product — one that Hezbollah members could verify by googling keywords.

According to the article, 39 people were killed and 3.4 thousand were injured from the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies.

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