Problem solved.
Posted on 04/29/2013 8:47:43 AM PDT by null and void
“running on a simulator,”
Exactly. Those simulators have all kinds of debuggers and other connectivity capabilities that could make it possible. We used them to test systems but in production there are no such connections available. They simply physically do not exist.
It is like when a hacker claims to have taken over another system but they had to have physical access to the machine. Anyone can take over a machine they can lay their hands on; that’s not a neat hacker trick.
IF (note the critical word IF!) one could hack the pilot's data feeds one could "take control of" the plane.
One could easily imagine a situation where every instrument is boogered to show normal flight at altitude while the autopilot gradually lowers the actual altitude to zero.
In the middle of an otherwise boring flight over mid ocean at night with no visual cues, an aircraft could be flown into the drink.
"Microsoft ... Democrats of Software"(TM).
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/01/dreamliner_security
Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet may have a serious security vulnerability in its onboard computer networks that could allow passengers to access the plane’s control systems, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The computer network in the Dreamliner’s passenger compartment, designed to give passengers in-flight internet access, is connected to the plane’s control, navigation and communication systems, an FAA report reveals.
I would put the firewall between the two networks; more than one, though, I don’t even know why they’re connected unless they want to encapsulate all the data sent/received from the plane in order to send it via one frequency.
Isn’t that the same FAA who bought of on lithium cobalt oxide batteries, even though it is well known to be the most volatile Li-ion chemistry? That FAA?
Often the FAA makes statements they know nothing about. The FAA is filled with non-credentialed employees making decisions and statements. They also have had a major effort to remove all pilots from the FAA so the place is now run primarily by MBA/PMP idiots without a clue as to avionics or flight operations. I once witnessed a certification effort take 30 minutes because the panel was impressed with pretty pictures and no one asked any hard questions. So, I’d take anything the FAA says with a grain of salt.
There are WiFi based systems in avionics today. That said, there are some adults in charge and such nonsense never makes it to critical systems.
I can easily imagine a commie Chinese or a jihadi H-1B deliberately designing in a back door to such a system.
I think the title of Democrats of Software goes to the Open Source community, including Linux, that demands “all software be free”.
Code reviews, very strict code reviews down to the ops code level, prevent that. I can image they might try, but the reviews of the source and then the final binaries would easily catch it. The Software configuration requirements are exacting. Plus, any critical systems have no connection of any sort to the outside world. with any instrumentation being incapable of receiving any data with only transmit capabilities.
P.S. Yet, the FAA let the 787 fly even though they put out THAT statement??
Problem solved.
Good to know.
Didn’t know the cockpits had wireless hotspots.
I would accept the article as sensationalist, but unsecured data feeds are an attack vector.
French fries!!!
LOL - that was meant for the “French revolution” thread...
You don’t use a firewall, the two systems need to be separate. Position feeds can come from the same antenna, but go to different processors. I fly in a helicopter that feeds a GPS signal to three different systems, all working independently.
But...wouldn’t it be cool if you could start your plane from your iphone?
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