Imagine if a hacker could somehow infiltrate the satellite communications equipment on an airplane and interfere with its navigation and safety systems. A security researcher named Ruben Santamarta says he has figured out how to do just that.
Santamarta, a consultant with cyber-security firm IOActive, is planning to lay out technical details of the hack during one of the most highly anticipated talks at this week's Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. The exploit involves accessing a passenger jet's satellite communication equipment through its onboard Wi-Fi or inflight entertainment system, according to Reuters.
From there, vulnerabilities in the satellite communications systems could potentially allow remote, unauthenticated hackers to disrupt satellite communications, which could interfere with a plane's navigation and safety features. In some cases, no user interaction is required to exploit the flaws — just sending a simple text message will do it, according to IOActive. And the vulnerabilities extend beyond planes.
Don't get too nervous just yet, though. Santamarta said he has only tested the hacks in a laboratory, and they might be difficult to replicate in the real world. He's hoping that the information will encourage satellite communications vendors to fix the flaws.
The vulnerabilities are said to affect commonly used communications equipment made by Cobham Plc, Harris Corp, EchoStar Corp's Hughes Network Systems, Iridium Communications, and Japan Radio, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time security researchers have shown planes to be vulnerable. Security consultant and trained commercial pilot Hugo Teso in April unveiled an Android app that can remotely attack an aircraft. Using the app, dubbed PlaneSploit, Teso demonstrated how to virtually hijack flight desk computers and feed false navigation information to change the course of a simulated jet.