Posted on 05/16/2015 5:05:33 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
A well-known U.S. hacker told F.B.I. agents he took momentary control of an airplane’s engines mid-flight by hacking into its inflight entertainment system, according to a document filed in U.S. federal court and obtained by APTN National News.
Roberts, who has been interviewed at least three times by the F.B.I. this year, is under investigation for allegedly hacking into the electronic entertainment systems of airplanes, according to an application for a search warrant to probe seized electronic equipment.
The document shows F.B.I. agents investigating Roberts believe he has the ability to do what he claims: take over flight control systems by hacking the inflight entertainment computer.
Roberts has not yet been charged with any crime. The allegations contained in the search warrant application have not been proven in court.
Roberts is the founder of One World Labs and he is widely viewed as an expert on counter threat cyber security.
F.B.I. agents obtained the search warrant on April 17 to probe a number of electronic items seized from Roberts after he arrived in Syracuse, NY, from Chicago on April 15. Roberts had posted a joke tweet earlier in the day while on a United Airlines flight between Denver and Chicago. The tweet referred to hacking into the airplane’s in-flight entertainment and passenger oxygen mask system.
During two interviews with F.B.I. agents in February and March of this year, Roberts said he hacked the inflight entertainment systems of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, during flights, about 15 to 20 times between 2011 and 2014. In one instance, Roberts told the federal agents he hacked into an airplane’s thrust management computer and momentarily took control of an engine, according to an affidavit attached to the application for a search warrant.
“He stated that he successfully commanded the system he had accessed to issue...
(Excerpt) Read more at aptn.ca ...
FLy sideways?
Methinks this hacker lies like a liberal.
Sideways?
Noot much would get me on a plane these days—our kids all live within driving distance now and even in an emergency we could get there before a plane would.
I’ve been everywhere I want to go, so I’m lucky that way.
Ominous news if accurate, and we damn lucky that that Geek figured it out before Mohammad.
Somebody better hire them before the bad guys figure this out.
Have the pilots confirmed this?
Have the pilots confirmed this?
Only the French build planes where software cannot be overruled by the pilot.
Pilots?
Isn’t this called ‘side-slipping’ or some more technical term?
I have been lots of places also and some places I did’t want to to go but went.
I call BS.
If you were designing an aircraft would you wire mission critical networks to a box in the passenger seat?
How long would that manufacturer remain in business?
We have many vulnerabilities, but I don’t believe this is one of them.
As a recovering aircraft engineer...I need to check the bottom of my shoes. I smell bovine excrement.
I seriously doubt the pilots are permitted to speak of this and keep their jobs.
The FBI seems intent on smearing Roberts rather than either fixing the problem or prosecuting him.
That raises all sorts of red flags for me...
Why? Some might ask?
Research ‘kapton airlines’ on the web and see how informed you really are...
Don’t know if this is true, but if any airplane has the flight control system somehow physically connected to any electronics system used by passengers in the plane, that plane should be permanently grounded until fixed and the manufacturer seriously fined.
Good landing. Got it straight at touch down and landed in the middle of the runway. Not an easy landing in high cross winds.
If you were designing an aircraft would you wire mission critical networks to a box in the passenger seat?
...
No, but if accountants and management are involved, I can see it being a possibility.
guy deserves a medal. Or free beers.
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