In flight hack

[Vulcan]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/68616119/hacker-admits-hijacking-plane-midair-fbi

A security researcher hijacked an airplane's engines after hacking its in-flight entertainment systems, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Chris Roberts, a well-known US security researcher, told FBI agents in February that he'd hacked in-flight entertainment systems on over a dozen flights and on one occasion hijacked an aircraft's thrust management computer and briefly altered its course.

...

Roberts' alleged admissions contradict earlier claims to the media that he'd only ever hacked virtualised aircraft network systems. 

So airline in flight entertainment systems being 'separate' from the control system simply means they are on different VLANs? What munter thought that was a good idea?

Is this true or just someone getting carried away?

[Rolex]

All of the news headlines screaming that he commandeered a plane and "flew it sideways" are wrong. The "Feds" and the FBI only said that he said that he did it. There is no evidence that he did it.

It's ironic that he had just lost funding to continue with his project to prove that he might be able to do it.

I hate the press...

[bustr]

Is he trying to ultimately prove you don't need to leave your tent in the desert to crash an airliner if you have a laptop and a sat link?

[pallero]

[eagl]

Physical security is step 1.  Having those network ports or any hackable system hardware accessible from the passenger cabin may be criminal negligence.

[bustr]

I thought each carrier had a secure company link that was the objective the person of interest in this story has been working to hack. I believe it was him a few years back who claimed he hacked it during another flight to bring attention to the weakness.

Again: is this all about a weakness that a camel jocky in his tent with a laptop and sat link might be able to exploit?

[Ripsnort]

Only Airbus systems.
Seriously.

Just saying...

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Only Airbus systems.
Seriously.

Just saying...

(Image removed from quote.)

Roberts said he knew of vulnerabilities aboard three types of Boeing aircraft and one Airbus model. He hacked into in-flight entertainment systems made by Thales and Panasonic, he told agents, according to the document.

[Windycty]

I've worked for an In-Flight Entertainment Avionics company for the last 7 years.  I've repaired and removed/replaced multiple IFE components for United and American airlines.  I can assure you this guy is full of toejam if he thinks he can control an aircraft by hacking or plugging in his own Ethernet to a seat box.

[Meatwad]

All he is doing is painting a big target on him.

Or he just likes to look at the big white vans that say "Flowers By Irene" parked across from his house

[oldskool65]

It is possible that the guy in question really works for a branch of U.S intelligence, and this story has been put out there as real, because if the nasty people attempt it the signal path can be used to locate and destroy hostile targets remotely by drone or missile ,thereby no risk to U.S personnel

[BoilerDown]

This story is old and the headlines are click bait.

He's a researcher for the FBI, and another branch of the FBI decided to detain him because of his FBI findings and the fact that he was flying and tweeted about it.

It was originally aired on one of those Fox News pieces that are supposed to get you all outraged at the federal government.  Various web sites have been taking the story and doing their own click baitish stuff with it in the months since it aired.

Saw this months ago on some Star Citizen forums because someone thought it would be funny to troll us, because the guy's name is Chris Roberts.