Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How to Hack Into a Boeing 787
Fox News ^ | Wednesday, February 20, 2008 | Jackson Kuhl - Fox News

Posted on 02/26/2008 3:35:45 PM PST by Tank-FL

Last month, technology news sites and blogs breathlessly reported on a Federal Aviation Administration document suggesting that Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet may be vulnerable to computer hackers.

Boeing now says that the problem was fixed even before the FAA issued its warning. But there may be yet another way bad guys could get into the plane's control system, one that neither the company nor the FAA may have noticed.

The FAA was specifically concerned that a passenger could use the on-board entertainment network, which personal laptops can plug into, to access the plane's navigation system and disable or take over the plane.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 787; aerospace; aviation; boeing; cybersecurity; faa; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last
To: Tank-FL; Mr. Jeeves; All
Boeing Corp. does have a back-up system just in case the Vista base OS, uh, crashes.

Each 787 will be equipped with two of these new babies, just in case the first one, goes down...


21 posted on 02/26/2008 7:02:00 PM PST by cpforlife.org (A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available at KnightsForLife.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sender

“Seriously, I still don’t trust them. Not without a backup.”

THey have backup....and backups to the backup, and backups to that....


22 posted on 02/26/2008 7:14:23 PM PST by RFEngineer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL; Admin Moderator

Interesting, but no activism or chapters related.


23 posted on 02/26/2008 7:56:04 PM PST by Mr. Silverback (It is not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Blood of Tyrants

Yeah, there’s a video of it out on the net. I’ve even got a copy...


24 posted on 02/26/2008 8:09:29 PM PST by CodeMasterPhilzar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ricks_place
I'm thinking they may be able to be linked. For example, it would make maintenance checks much quicker if you could physically flip a switch, link any/all networks on the aircraft, and access their logs etc. to look for maintenance problems. Then physically isolate the networks to return it to flight configuration...
25 posted on 02/26/2008 8:12:08 PM PST by CodeMasterPhilzar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: RFEngineer
No way. Hydraulics can fail too. I don’t trust it. There needs to be direct cable and pulley control of all aerodynamic surfaces.

Why? A pilot was able to land a DC10 with zero functional control surfaces, despite not having practiced such a scenario. True, it wasn't a great landing, but if he'd prepared for such a scenario he probably could have done better.

Of course, if the engines had used a processor-controlled throttle system, who knows whether it would have allowed the necessary adjustments to control the plane.

I guess my philosophy would be that if planes are going to go fly-by-wire, there should be a backup "mode" in which, with the flip of a switch, the pilot can lock out all processor-controlled systems that use rewritable code storage. The plane's systems should have code in ROM that will allow the pilot to fly the plane. Perhaps not fly it as smoothly or elegantly as fancier code would allow, but at least fly it.

26 posted on 02/26/2008 9:05:24 PM PST by supercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

LOL, run MS Flight Simulator and enjoy the ride!


27 posted on 02/26/2008 9:24:10 PM PST by monkeyshine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

Sounds like speculative BS to me.


28 posted on 02/26/2008 9:26:07 PM PST by conservative cat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RFEngineer

I always thought they had triple redundancies. I agree too much reliance on technology is dangerous. And I find it hard to believe that my laptop could ever be capable of taking over the cockpit of the plane, either by ethernet or whatever. I can’t believe the entertainment features would actually have a connection to the cockpit controls in any way, shape or form. What, are the planes being piloted with WiFi?


29 posted on 02/26/2008 9:28:19 PM PST by monkeyshine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: RFEngineer
Oh, and those jet turbine things.....Those are bad news. I don’t trust them. Hand-made wooden props attached to piston engines - that are hand started is the only sure way to go. How else can you trust what you are flying in?

Now you're talking -love those Hemingway starters!

30 posted on 02/26/2008 9:30:49 PM PST by investigateworld ( Abortion stops a beating heart.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: cpforlife.org

Oh my gosh, you bring back such memories. Is it just my imagination or did the disk drive grind more than it produced data?

TRSDOS anyone?


31 posted on 02/26/2008 9:35:18 PM PST by BJungNan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

This plane cannot be hijacked electronically, flown remotely from another location yes but in the event the pilots lose control it will drop out and lockout any inputs from the cabin.

An unsubstantiated rumor of course.


32 posted on 02/26/2008 9:47:03 PM PST by Eye of Unk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BJungNan
LOL—Bought my first PC in 97 or 98, but I remember early 80’s a friends house w a big TRS80 set up and a gillion cassettes.

We’ve come a looong way, though I hear Vista is still a nightmare of sorts.

33 posted on 02/26/2008 11:31:24 PM PST by cpforlife.org (A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available at KnightsForLife.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: cpforlife.org

No, no, we’re not talking about the space shuttle, this is Boeing. They’d have back up Sony Playstations.


34 posted on 02/27/2008 12:04:02 AM PST by kingu (Party for rent - conservative opinions not required.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

This is the problem with the usage of Systems Processors which centralize the management of every component. The system should be a set of parallel systems that the Display processor should show the pilot for monitoring, providing a direct “look and feel” through itself.


35 posted on 02/27/2008 12:34:55 AM PST by JudgemAll (control freaks, their world & their problem with my gun and my protecting my private party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

36 posted on 02/27/2008 2:22:54 AM PST by Textide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tank-FL

They aren’t connected. I am familiar with the IFE (inflight entertainment) system. I am also a software developer, and I don’t see how there’s any risk of hacking flight critical systems here.


37 posted on 02/27/2008 2:47:06 AM PST by dinodino
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Wally_Kalbacken

Most modern journalists completely lack basic subject matter knowledge, and in a technical arena, are generally so innumerate they are unable to acquire it.


38 posted on 02/27/2008 3:39:06 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jeeves

Ha! Just wait till the copilot starts surfing the pR0n sites and clicks on the “200 free teen X rated cheerleaders” ad...


39 posted on 02/27/2008 3:45:27 AM PST by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RFEngineer

LOLOL Are you volunteering to crawl out on a wing to give the prop a spin in case of failure ?

I wonder if crank instructions will become part of pre-flight safety procedures ?


40 posted on 02/27/2008 5:35:45 AM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson