[S-99]

Some guy found a flaw on a united in flight wifi system.

Roberts told FORBES he was disconcerted by the actions of US law enforcement. “Feds have known about issues in planes for years, why are they hot now? I’m a researcher, that’s what I do, I don’t go out to harm or hurt, why pick on researchers? If not us then who will find flaws?”

Seems he found a way into the Box-IFE-ICE-SATCOM and PASS OXYGEN and other critical plane systems. Perhaps wasn't difficult to get into.

[Sololop]

From what I can tell, this was all theoretical. There was no evidence he could actually affect the flight controls of the aircraft, and as far as I understand, the cabin WiFi and those systems are separate from the flight controls, anyhow. Plus, the cabin crew can manually override any such inputs from an outside source.

[Phantom Hoover]

You willing to bet your life on that?

[Dragon]

Who has been stupid enough to connect those systems to WiFi anyway? There should be an air gap to prevent that (no pun intended ). It's not like the oxygen system ever needed to be controlled through WiFi.

[Dark RevenantX]

I thought the FAA certification process was really picky about EM frequencies within or without planes.

[Bobboau]

Who has been stupid enough to connect those systems to WiFi anyway?

United Airlines apparently.

Who, interestingly, I have a flight with tomorrow... :/

[S-99]

From what I can tell, this was all theoretical. There was no evidence he could actually affect the flight controls of the aircraft, and as far as I understand, the cabin WiFi and those systems are separate from the flight controls, anyhow. Plus, the cabin crew can manually override any such inputs from an outside source.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "flight controls". A few or more flight systems he was definitely able to enact changes on from the sound of his tweet; he however didn't make any changes, he's a researcher, this is his job and passion.

From this scenario with united, we know that the wifi and all or some systems are not separate. And if plain crew can override inputs, then the passengers with access can just override them.

[jr2]

United, Y u no use AP isolation?

[Bobboau]

he however didn't make any changes, he's a researcher, this is his job and passion.

and he was a passenger, I don't think any of the other security researchers who previously found out about this vulnerability and decided to dump all the fuel and force the plane into a vertical dive to prove they could managed to tell anyone about it.

[S-99]

he indeed was a life appreciating passenger

[qwadtep]

So the search warrant was released and demonstrates that he actually was able to control the plane's engines.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/05/16/chris-roberts-fbi-plane-hack-one-world-labs/27448335/

[karajorma]

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/05/fbi-researcher-admitted-to-hacking-plane-in-flight-causing-it-to-climb/

Yep. And if he did that makes everything the FBI and United did absolutely justified. It's still important that they fix the flaw of course, but he absolutely should not have messed around with the controls of the plane while it was in flight. Especially if you know how easily that can **** with the autopilot.

That said, there are claims he only did that in a simulator, and not in a real plane. Though where he got access to a simulator from is unexplained.

[Mikes]

Who has been stupid enough to connect those systems to WiFi anyway?

Getting a good Battlestar Galactica Vibe out of this :-) LOL

[S-99]

Apparently the guy who hacked the plane, is most likely full of tall tales...