A security researcher has found an old data feed that reveals how full the urine tank on the International Space Station is, allowing them to track when astronauts use the toilet
By Matthew Sparkes
15 September 2023 Last updated 18 September 2023
The toilet on the International Space Station
European Space Agency
Anyone with access to the internet is able to follow the toilet habits of astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), a security researcher has discovered.
An anonymous cybersecurity analyst, who goes by the name Gi7w0rm and works with a service that scans the internet for vulnerable devices, accidentally discovered that there were two data feeds coming from the ISS related to urine: one showing the percentage fullness of the urine tank on board the space station, and one showing the status of the processor unit that converts urine into potable water for the astronauts.
Both of those metrics, as well as hundreds more relating to everything from the number of laptops connected to the ISS network to the level of CO2 in the air on board, can be seen online.
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Gi7w0rm said that they were “not necessarily surprised, but definitely amused” by the finding. “You don’t always get to watch astronauts pee,” they say.
They had been investigating a “sensitive” government system that had a vulnerability and accidentally came across the ISS data feed. Fearing it was a security leak – albeit one without an immediately obvious risk – Gi7w0rm contacted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which oversees government IT security in the US.
“The last month, I have created probably over 250 voluntary reports to big companies and nation states in regards to critical vulnerabilities,” says Gi7w0rm. “This included everything from the average business to military contractors, governments, police and critical infrastructure. In this particular case, I was looking for vulnerabilities in relation to space.”