Was Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 hacked?

WTOP.com ^ | 3/14/2014, 1:53pm | J.J. Green

[RC one]

WASHINGTON -- Evidence is surfacing that system failure in the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 may have caused the plane's disappearance and investigators are wondering if foul play may have been involved.

Reports that two key communication and location systems on the Boeing 777 reportedly shutdown sequentially, while the plane continued to fly for hours, has granted credence to the possibility the plane's systems could have been physically sabotaged or electronically compromised.

WTOP has learned that Boeing had been concerned about the possibility the plane's systems could be hacked and had previously contacted the Federal Aviation Administration.

On August 21, 2012, Boeing applied for permission to change the equipment to be installed as part of an onboard data network system upgrade on the 777 series of planes.

According to information listed in the Federal Register the existing "data network and design integration may result in security vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional corruption of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the airplane."

The bottom line, according to language in the Federal Register, "The integrated network configurations in the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes may enable increased connectivity with external network sources and will have more interconnected networks and systems, such as passenger entertainment and information services than previous airplane models. This may enable the exploitation of network security vulnerabilities and increased risks potentially resulting in unsafe conditions for the airplanes and occupants."

Boeing appeared to worry that USB connection points on the seatbacks in some of the 777 airplanes could be vulnerable, considering the interconnectivity.

There was also concern that unauthorized access to the plane in the maintenance stage could cause damage.

In November 2013, special conditions were approved allowing Boeing to make changes on the 777 planes.

The plausibility of hacking into an airplane while in flight was presented as a reality in April 2013, by Spanish researcher Hugo Teso at a presentation during at the Hack-In-The-Box security summit in Amsterdam.

Teso ostensibly proved that using an Android smartphone and specific code, he could take control of aircraft flight and communication.

He claimed he could use his "attack code" called SIMON and an Android application called PlaneSploit to take full control of not only the systems on board the plane, but the pilot's display.

The FAA quickly responded saying it was not possible to fully take control of an aircraft, as had been alleged.

At the time, Teso outlined what he called vulnerabilities in the Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) systems, saying of the aviation industry in general, they are not ready to face this kind of attack.

ADB-S and ACAR are among systems on the plane that authorities have acknowledged were possibly compromised in some way.

As investigators have worked their way through the broad range of theories regarding what happened to Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, Malaysian authorities are looking closely at sabotage as a possible cause.

[ncfool]

Read this link

http://keithledgerwood.tumblr.com/post/79838944823/did-malaysian-airlines-370-disappear-using-sia68

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

Mark17, thank you for your service.

We still use HF over water. For example, I can go any where in the Caribbean on VHF, but I have to us HF to Bermuda.

[grania]

I had a thought similar to yours. What if someone or some country needed to learn the technology included in that plane? If they'd been studying its potential, they might've been to the point where they could hack its systems.

And I for one am going to applaud wild speculation. This whole situation is way out of the ordinary, and using it as an opportunity to explore what is and is not possible is healthy brainstorming.

[Robe]

Read the link in post#41.. I think he may be on to something.
We used the technique in the Navy. I have snuck up on more then one commercial airliner that way

[Defiant]

Here's an interesting theory, claiming that the flight could have flown in the shadow of another 777 and made it to central asia undetected.

Did Malaysian Airlines 370 disappear using SIA68/SQ68 (another 777)?

This one is worthy of a James Bond movie. I don't subscribe to any specific theory, by the way, just enjoying reading them and waiting to find out which one was closest to the truth. It's a great world-wide mystery. I just wish we could find out already.

[Defiant]

Oh man, you beat me to it!

[Mark17]

So when the media reports that the pilot’s last communication was with Air Traffic Control, it may not have been with the nearest airport’s tower(likely was not), but may have been with the nearest Enroute Facility or TRACON facility. Or however they might name such similar facilities in that part of the world.

Affirmative sir. When I was in Travis AFB Tower, we simulcasted on both VHF/UHF frequencies for ground control and tower control. You can google the frequencies. They have not changed since I retired in 1987.

[holden]

manually fly a plane anymore?

How one could get good at that is with endless hours of simulator time.

HF

[Resolute Conservative]

So by that logic I should be able to play pro football since I have an xBox.

[holden]

I'm a flight instructor, have been trained on most commercial 6DOF sims, sat on the FAA committee to certify sims, and seen many a good virtual pilot, who acquired his skill on something similar to Shah's home brew sim. I've also checked out and biennialed big rig pilots that had lost a lot of their manual flying skills.

I've not seen it done on an X-Box, but oh, yeah, that was your inexperienced, extrapolated non sequitur.

HF

[holden]

Choosing another 777 to shadow seems like another layer of precision and care, but what is it the pilot would have found desirable or necessary to hide in doing so?

HF

[Resolute Conservative]

I would not say that I am inexperienced. While I am not big rig qualified, my dad has over 20,000 hours in 727, 747, MD80, and other types and he says sims only go so far and without being in one of the contained “ultra” sim platforms you develop no feel for the aircraft. You aren’t getting the “feel” sitting in a chair at a table. Sims are good for teaching/reviewing procedure and exposing airfield particulars etc... but a long way from flying a plane weighing 600,000 pounds with 45,000 gallons of fuel and cargo.

So your non-sequitur is non-sequitur.