In a world where the latest breaking news contains plenty of reasons to worry about the next one flight you, a security researcher, comes to add an additional reason. THE Ruben Santamarta reports that it is theoretically possible to hijack a flight using the airplane in-Wi-Fi.
Security consultant Ruben Santamarta will present his findings this week at the annual Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas. THE research of Santamarta focuses on the vulnerability of ground stations using the global satellite communications network.
According to one preview of Santamarta's talk on Black Hat's website, his team used the same devices often used to access satellite communications networks in the air as well as in sea travel and "found that 100% of the devices could be hacked."
The vulnerabilities they can allow remote access to unauthorized users.
"In some cases, user interaction is not required to exploit the vulnerability. It can be done by sending a simple SMS or a specially created message from one ship to another. ”
It's scary enough for the average traveler to know that a hacker could theoretically use the plane's in-flight Wi-Fi to infiltrate the flight's electronic equipment systems and interfere with navigation systems or better safetys.
"These devices are wide open. "The purpose of this speech is to help us change this situation," Santamarta told Reuters.
The good news is that so far hacks have only been simulated in the lab. And as he says Reuters can be difficult to realize in the real world. Manufacturers of satellite communications equipment have so far responded that the risk of breaches of their equipment is minimal.
Santamarta says he will respond to his scheduled speech on Thursday.
