Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Oberlin College develop a low-cost device to hack Boeing 737 aircraft.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Oberlin College have demonstrated that a motivated attacker can hack a Boeing 737 aircraft using a small, coin-sized device costing less than $100. The prototype device, which plugs into an open maintenance port in the plane's electronics bay, can be installed in 60 seconds by someone on the ground. By tapping into the ARINC 429 protocol, the device can override communications between the Flight Management Computer and the Multipurpose Control Display Unit. This allows an attacker to secretly change the aircraft's flight plan, reprogram the autopilot, or modify critical weight and balance data. While the researchers suggest that an attentive pilot can recover from most of these changes, the device proves that even brief physical access can lead to significant cybersecurity risks. Boeing officials stated that existing layers of protection within the system design and operating environment are sufficient to mitigate these risks.