(Dec. 17) — Insurgents in Iraq have used inexpensive computer software to capture live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones, which may be helping them evade and monitor U.S. military operations, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Senior defense and intelligence officials told the newspaper that Iranian-supported insurgents used programs such as SkyGrabber, which costs about $26, to exploit an unsecured communications link in the unmanned planes.

The militants haven’t gained control of the aircraft, officials said, but having information on the plane’s missions can help insurgents figure out locations that the U.S. has targeted for surveillance.

Drones help the military track targets in places where it isn’t feasible to send troops. The U.S. also uses unmanned planes in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the newspaper suggests that the militants’ activity in Iraq highlights a potentially serious flaw in the drones. Read the full story on The Journal’s Web site.