Hacking airplane possible?

[MariusJS]

Ok, so there are a lot of if's and buts, but if this is true, it is kind of terrifying!

 

"Ruben Santamarta says he has figured out how to hack the satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their WiFi and inflight entertainment systems - a claim that, if confirmed, could prompt a review of aircraft security."

"These devices are wide open. The goal of this talk is to help change that situation,"

"The researcher said he discovered the vulnerabilities by "reverse engineering" - or decoding - highly specialized software known as firmware, used to operate communications equipment made by Cobham Plc, Harris Corp, EchoStar Corp's Hughes Network Systems, Iridium Communications Inc and Japan Radio Co Ltd."

 

"In theory, a hacker could use a plane's onboard WiFi signal or inflight entertainment system to hack into its avionics equipment, potentially disrupting or modifying satellite communications, which could interfere with the aircraft's navigation and safety systems, Santamarta said."

 

 

 

Have not seen this posted yet, but please correct me if I am wrong!

 

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/04/us-cybersecurity-hackers-airplanes-idUSKBN0G40WQ20140804

[ZetZet]

Sure it is.

[MegaDave91]

Another reason to not feel safe 30k ft up...:0

[Snickerzz]

anything and everything can be hacked

[MegaDave91]

anything and everything can be hacked

Even you

[Snickerzz]

Even you

yup, point a gun to someones head and say your command... human hacking

[Imabigmac]

I know nothing about plane systems, but I find it very difficult to understand that wifi and entertainment equipment is not entirely separate from major avionic equipment. Especially when when considering if the entertainment system had a huge hardware failure that the equipment flying the plane would go down too. 

[MariusJS]

I know nothing about plane systems, but I find it very difficult to understand that wifi and entertainment equipment is not entirely separate from major avionic equipment. Especially when when considering if the entertainment system had a huge hardware failure that the equipment flying the plane would go down too. 

Might not be run of the same hardware, but some kind of a connection might be possible, and enough...

[MagnetSh0CK]

Anyone remember when that guy redirected a plane to the wrong airport using an android phone and a control tower... he wasn't even on board, imagine what you could do being that close to the cockpit.

[StingBull]

yup, point a gun to someones head and say your command... human hacking

 

I can imagine. "Sudo give me your wallet motherfucker."

[MrKickkiller]

Wow, a hackers life must be easy then.

 

Hacker: 

* Books cheap flight to nearby location*

* Hacks plane*

==> Ends up in the Bahamas, California, Florida etc.

 

That's what you can call "low-cost travel"

[Thorium19]

Well, there's that much going on negative press wise when it comes to planes, that I'm surprised this hasn't been realised earlier. Not sure I shall be flying any time soon, road trips for me!

[TheProfosist]

Yea its was shown off last year on test cockpit at one of those white hack hacker conventions.

[Sidiox]

This kinda surprises me. I sometimes watch "Air Crash Investigation" on National Geographic and there those planes always seem to have very little electronics, just the monitors for stuff, a lot of the rest seems to be hooked up with normal mechinical parts. Ofc the nav system is electronic, but it seems very weird that those can be hacked so easily...

[TheProfosist]

This kinda surprises me. I sometimes watch "Air Crash Investigation" on National Geographic and there those planes always seem to have very little electronics, just the monitors for stuff, a lot of the rest seems to be hooked up with normal mechinical parts. Ofc the nav system is electronic, but it seems very weird that those can be hacked so easily...

On the newer planes almost all of is hooked to the computer now. And they use servos instead of hydrolics and stuff.

[TheWall]

anything and everything can be hacked

My hot dog?

[Snickerzz]

My hot dog?

rigged to explode >:3

[RedSpade]

Sorry to burst some peoples bubbles but this isn't possible. It is possible to confuse a pilot to making the error but not the actual plane.

 

This is because the autopilot and wifi/inflight network aren't connected in any way and also because all planes (regular public transport ones that are being discussed i.e. 747, A380, etc.) have multiple autopilots and when they don't agree with each other then the pilot takes over and flies the plane by hand.

 

Edit: I reread the article and all I think the person has done is make the plane think it's somewhere else which wouldn't "hijack" the plane as the autopilot's use more than just GPS to determine where they are (i.e. INS - modern day gyroscopes with lasers). This in turn would just result in the aircraft not using the GPS systems and the pilot would control it by hand.

Edited August 8, 2014 by RedSpade

[TheWall]

rigged to explode >:3

o.0 I'm suddenly not hungry anymore

[Fetzie]

My hot dog?

 

I'd imagine it would be fairly easy to make a plastic explosive that has a similar texture, colour and taste to hotdog filling. They're that full of artificial flavourings and colourings anyway, who'd notice the difference?

[TheProfosist]

Sorry to burst some peoples bubbles but this isn't possible. It is possible to confuse a pilot to making the error but not the actual plane.

This is because the autopilot and wifi/inflight network aren't connected in any way and also because all planes (regular public transport ones that are being discussed i.e. 747, A380, etc.) have multiple autopilots and when they don't agree with each other then the pilot takes over and flies the plane by hand.

Edit: I reread the article and all I think the person has done is make the plane think it's somewhere else which wouldn't "hijack" the plane as the autopilot's use more than just GPS to determine where they are (i.e. INS - modern day gyroscopes with lasers). This in turn would just result in the aircraft not using the GPS systems and the pilot would control it by hand.

This might not be what the article is on but the one I read about 1+ years ago the guy piggie-backed the signals coming from the control tower. I believe these weren't encrypted either.

[RedSpade]

This might not be what the article is on but the one I read about 1+ years ago the guy piggie-backed the signals coming from the control tower. I believe these weren't encrypted either.

 

The signals aren't encrypted and the person would have used a simple vhf radio ( so long as it had the range) to pretend to be the centre that the aircraft is flying through. The problem is that aircraft have their own route (air traffic control is there so no collisions occur) and as soon as the legitimate centre knows what's going on they'll move all communication to another channel and alert police.

 

If it was as easy as the article is making it out to be this would've happened along time ago. Right now it isn't possible to "hijack" a plane without flying it yourself.

[Toddwjp]

Im currently studying for an aerospace engineering degree, and i would say hacking a plane to control it is near impossible, there's multiple backs ups, electronic systems are closed and isolated from each other (each system is on its own circuit).

 

The only way i could think of working is the diehard method, change the information going to the plane.

[Speedbird]

I know nothing about plane systems, but I find it very difficult to understand that wifi and entertainment equipment is not entirely separate from major avionic equipment. Especially when when considering if the entertainment system had a huge hardware failure that the equipment flying the plane would go down too. 

I believe the ones that use electronics for flight controls (well, the 777 at least) have backup systems too. I think there's a hydraulic one too, which completely bypasses the electronics.

[Trik'Stari]

And people wonder why I refuse to fly.....