BlinkenCity: From Art Project to Europe-wide Blackout Scenario
- Some European countries use **unencrypted and unauthenticated longwave radio to steer** parts of their **renewable power**, enough to potentially **cause a Europe-wide blackout** - The control signals can be sent with just a Flipper Zero over short distance, or **via self-built transmitters over a long distance** (e.g. using a kite to lift an antenna wire) - The system is also used for **street lamp control**, allowing for a scaled-up “Project Blinkenlights” art installation that **transforms an entire city into a screen** (for astronauts) - The company operating this system has **threatened us with lawsuits** and (now publicly) denies the risk
At the [38c3 hacker conference](https://events.ccc.de/congress/2024/infos/index.html), we [presented](https://fahrplan.events.ccc.de/congress/2024/fahrplan/talk/HSNZGR/) our “BlinkenCity” research, which **started as a fun art project idea**, and **ended up as a plausible European blackout scenario:**
**[media.ccc.de link](https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-blinkencity-radio-controlling-street-lamps-and-power-plants), [slides](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5f6498c074436c50c016e745/6776eb76a3490010d8e59fbb_20241228-BlinkenCity-38c3.pdf)**
