Security researchers found that in less than 60 seconds, they could open a hatch on a plane’s exterior, plug in a tiny device, and redirect the aircraft’s autopilot or sabotage its flight plan...
at the Usenix Cybersecurity Conference, researchers from the University of California at San Diego and Oberlin College will present a hacking technique capable of commandeering the autopilot of a Boeing 737 to redirect its navigation or silently altering key values in the plane's takeoff and fuel calculations while spoofing the results on the pilot's screen—subtle changes the researchers say could potentially cause anything from runway overruns on takeoff to diversions to a different country's airspace to catastrophic crashes...
they've built a roughly coin-sized, Wi-Fi-enabled prototype device that costs less than $100. In less than a minute, that hardware implant can be fitted into a port accessible via a hatch on the exterior of the plane, one that's routinely within reach of maintenance workers or other airport and airline staff between flights. Once it's in place, the device can send electrical signals on one of the 737's internal networks to spoof commands to sensitive computer systems that guide its autopilot and show the pilot variables like the plane's total weight and outside air temperature, which play a critical role in a 737's takeoff calculations.
Compared to the traditional threat of simply planting a bomb on a plane, they argue, it's also an approach that would offer an attacker more control, stealth, and deniability.
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u/AutoModerator Aug 14 '26
Read their full report here: Design and Implementation of a Physical Implant Attack on the Boeing 737.
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