New research links hacking to hijacking1 min read

A recently-published white paper has found that hackers could hijack the systems used to guide aircraft by compromising and spoofing the radio signals that are used during landing. The research is detailed in a report from Northeastern University in Boston.

According to the recently published white paper: “Modern aircraft heavily rely on several wireless technologies for communications, control, and navigation. Researchers demonstrated vulnerabilities in many aviation systems.”

Analysis of instrument system waveforms showed that hackers can spoof aircraft radio signals using commercially available tools. They can then cause last-minute go-around decisions and even make the plane miss its landing zone in low-visibility scenarios.

As the researchers explained: “We demonstrate the integrated attack on an FAA certified flight-simulator (XPlane) incorporating a spoofing region detection mechanism that triggers the controlled spoofing on entering the landing zone to reduce detectability.”

The researchers concluded: “Through both simulations and experiments using aviation grade commercial ILS receivers and FAA recommended flight simulator, we showed that an attacker can precisely control the approach path of an aircraft without alerting the pilots, especially during low-visibility conditions.

“We discussed potential countermeasures including failsafe systems such as GPS and showed that these systems do not provide sufficient security guarantees and there are unique challenges to realising a scalable and secure aircraft landing system.”

For more detail, take a look at the report in Computing.