Boeing 787 hit by security fears

BBC News ^ | 9 January 2008 | Staff

[Aristotelian]

Boeing has been ordered to ensure passengers on its new 787 Dreamliner jet cannot hack into the flight system and take control of the plane.

The ruling has come from America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is concerned that the plane's computer system may be vulnerable.

Boeing said it was in constant dialogue with the FAA to resolve the issue.

The US giant will start to deliver the mid-sized planes from November. British Airways has ordered 24 Dreamliners.

Rival UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has orders for 15.

[Aristotelian]

What a frightening thought -- having a passenger take control of a plane from his laptop.

[ThomasThomas]

That would violate the pilots union contract.

[dinodino]

How in the hell would passengers do that? Is there a network port in the cabin connected to the avionics bus?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Are they using a wireless Ethernet to control it? Or maybe they were thinking of having ports connected to the plane’s flight computer system at every seat? Sounds like they are straining on a gnat.

[Gator113]

Hey Honey, hold my almonds and watch this!!!

[C210N]

More info for those interested here: Aviation Week

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

nintendo wii controller & nunchuk

[dalereed]

Seems like a few diodes would cure the problem.

[garyhope]

You get almonds on your flights?!!

I gotta change airlines.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Additional details:

Boeing's new Dreamliner has serious security vulnerability

[FunkyZero]

They guy who designed this needs his head on a stick. You never physically connect a critical network to something like that. Geez
I’m sure the security is there? Who knows, they were dumb enough to physically connect them... I would have never guessed anyone would consider that acceptable design.

[Yo-Yo]

FAA demands connectivity security for Boeing 787 control and information networks
By John Croft

The US Federal Aviation Administration will require Boeing to demonstrate that certain 787 flight critical domains - digital systems and networks that for the first time will be accessible externally via wireless and other links to airline operations and maintenance systems - cannot be tampered with.

"The architecture of the Boeing Model 787-8 computer systems and networks may allow access to external systems and networks, such as wireless airline operations and maintenance systems, satellite communications, electronic mail, the internet, etc.

Onboard wired and wireless devices may also have access to parts of the airplane's digital systems that provide flight critical functions," says the FAA in a special conditions document published in December. "These new connectivity capabilities may result in security vulnerabilities to the airplane's critical systems."

In order to "ensure the security, integrity, and availability" of critical systems, the FAA will require Boeing to demonstrate that unauthorised access to the hardware, software and databases of the aircraft control and airline information domains is not possible.

The regulator also wants Boeing to demonstrate that unauthorised access is not possible when field-loadable software applications and databases for those domains are electronically transmitted onto the aircraft from external sources.

Boeing's network architecture for the 787 includes embedded software and electronics used for flight critical control and navigation systems, called the aircraft control domain, as well as for airline business and administrative support, known as the airline information domain.

Special conditions are issued when a new aircraft has "novel" or "unusual" design features "compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes", the FAA says.

[VOA]

bump

[Colorado Cowgirl]

It’s probably a Windows based system. That program is used to run things you would never think about, Generators, HVAC Chillers, Boilers to name a few, here in Colorado.