TMCnet News
Hacker to show how aircraft safety systems can be beaten [Cape Argus (South Africa)](Cape Argus (South Africa) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) BOSTON: Cybersecurity researcher Ruben Santamarta says he has worked out how to hack the satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their wi-fi and in-flight entertainment systems - a claim that, if confirmed, could prompt a review of aircraft security. Santamarta, a consultant with cybersecurity firm IOActive, is scheduled to lay out the technical details of his research at this week's Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas, an annual convention at which thousands of hackers and security experts meet to discuss emerging cyber threats and improve security measures. His presentation on Thursday on vulnerabilities in satellite communications systems used in aerospace and other industries is expected to be one of the most widely watched at the conference. "These devices are wide open. The goal of this talk is to help change that situation," Santamarta, 32, said. The researcher said he discovered the vulnerabilities by "reverse engineering" - or decoding - highly specialised software known as firmware, used to operate communications equipment made by Cobham, Harris, EchoStar's Hughes Network Systems, Iridium Communications and Japan Radio. In theory, a hacker could use a plane's onboard wi-fi signal or in-flight 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. He acknowledged that his hacks have only been tested in controlled environments, such as IOActive's Madrid laboratory, and they might be difficult to replicate in the real world. Santamarta said he decided to go public to encourage manufacturers to fix what he saw as risky security flaws. Representatives for Cobham, |Harris, Hughes and Iridium said they had reviewed Santamarta's research and confirmed some of his findings, but downplayed the risks. For instance, Cobham, whose |Aviation 700 aircraft satellite communications equipment was the focus of Santamarta's research, said it was not possible for hackers to use wi-fi signals to interfere with critical systems that relied on satellite communications for navigation and safety. The hackers must have physical access to Cobham's equipment, according to Cobham spokesman Greg Caires. "In the aviation and maritime markets we serve, there are strict requirements restricting such access to authorised personnel only," said Caires. A Japan Radio spokesman declined to comment, saying information on such vulnerabilities was not public. Black Hat, which was founded in 1997, has often been a venue for |hackers to present breakthrough research. In 2009, Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner demonstrated a method for attacking iPhones with malicious text messages, prompting Apple to release a patch. In 2011, Jay Radcliffe demonstrated methods for attacking Medtronic's insulin pumps, which helped prompt an industry review of security. - Reuters Cape Argus (c) 2014 Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited. All rights strictly reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |