HACKED AIRPLANES

Boeing 737-800 Image from WikiPedia 

A computer security expert, who was recently detained and questioned by the FBI over his hack-a-plane joke on Twitter, had earlier revealed to the agency that he accessed aircraft control systems on up to 20 occasions, according to a search warrant.

The founder of One World Labs, Chris Roberts, was detained for questioning and had his hardware confiscated in April by federal agents after exiting a United flight from Chicago to Syracuse, New York following his tweet suggesting he might attempt to hack into a flight’s entertainment system.

The FBI addressed the tweet urgently and with great seriousness because previous encounters with Roberts revealed that he was capable of such activity. In a search warrant application, obtained by APTN National News, Roberts previously claimed to have told agents that during his research he used his skills and equipment to gain access to an in-flight aircraft entertainment console, or the IFE, on as many as 20 occasions.

“During these conversations, Mr. Roberts stated ... that he had exploited vulnerabilities with IFE systems on aircraft while in flight. He compromised the IFE systems approximately 15 to 20 times during the time period 2011 through 2014. He last exploited an IFE system during the middle of 2014,” FBI Special Agent Mark Hurley wrote in his application.

During at least one of these “test” flights, Roberts “stated that he then overwrote code on the airplane's Thrust Management Computer while aboard a flight,” the document claims. “He stated that he successfully commanded the system he had accessed to issue the CLB or climb command. He stated that he thereby caused one of the airplane engines to climb resulting in a lateral or sideways movement of the plane.”

The court document does not mention during which particular flights the interference with the aircraft controls took place.

Aircraft can Be Hacked and Flown 

FBI warns airlines to lookout for in-flight hackers



According to the affidavit, Hurley met with Roberts in February and March to discuss IFE security vulnerabilities with regards to the Boeing 737 and 757, and Airbus A320 aircraft. It was during these interview sessions that Roberts revealed that his hacking into IFE that was produced by Panasonic and Thales.

When Roberts revealed his hacking abilities, Hurley writes that he had warned the programmer that accessing plane’s in-flight systems without authorization is a federal crime. Roberts, at the time said he understands and promised not to engage in such activity.

But after his April 15 tweet, the FBI apparently alleged the security expert could attempt to repeat success, and did go on to detain and question the man. The agents and technicians who inspected the aircraft which he flew to Chicago, before connecting to New York, allegedly found tampering on two electronic boxes next to Roberts’s seat. According to affidavit, one of the electronic boxes had been damaged.

“Technical specialists with the FBI believed that he may have just [hacked the plane’s system] again, or attempted to do so using the equipment then in his possession,” it said.

When the agents confiscated Roberts’ equipment in Syracuse – including a MacBook, an iPad, three hard drives and numerous removable USB flash drives – he denied hacking into any systems during the flight from Denver to Chicago.

“We believed that Roberts had the ability and the willingness to use the equipment ... to access or attempt to access the IFE and possibly the flight control systems ... and that it would endanger public safety to allow him to leave the Syracuse airport that evening with the equipment,” Hurley's report states.

Roberts meanwhile told the Wired that the FBI has taken his remarks about hacking out of context of their comprehensive discussions with the agency.

“There is context that is obviously missing which obviously I can't say anything about,” he told the publication. “It would appear from what I've seen that the federal guys took one paragraph out of a lot of discussions and a lot of meetings and notes and just chose that one as opposed to plenty of others.”


source: http://rt.com/usa/259329-fbi-plane-systems-hacking/

Security expert allegedly told FBI he hacked & steered airliner mid-flight
Published time: May 17, 2015 02:14

Open skies policy damaging PIA only as it is Targeted by PM family Interests

PIA the Only Victim of Open Air Policies 

Measures Introduced by Mian Nawaz Sharif in 1992 is Making PIA Make Loses because he wanted his Own Airline """"Airblue""""  with His Shares in it and run by His cabinet Minister Khaqan Abbasi ,  to replace PIA and is Hurting Pakistan National Interest and Hurting and Endangering PIA Employees Jobs and also Making an Asset of Pakistan as Loss Making Entity and Making  it Loose a Lot of Routes to Arabic countries Airline Like Emirates , Air Arabia and  Eitihad which are Provided Big Subsidies by the Wahabi Arab Dictator Kings and who have Oil Wells as their Personal Property that cant be Matched by any country , Furthermore the Deobandi,  Raiwind Based Business man Nawaz Sharif has religious Links with Wahabi Kings from Deobandi a Wahabi Based Religion and also his one of his Brothers Daughter is Married to Saudi Royals during his stay in Saudia Arabia after he was exiled by Pakistan Army General Musharaf for Sedation and Murder .  

LAHORE: The National Aviation Policy 2015’s continuation of the open skies policy adopted in 1992 is likely to hit the National Carrier (PIA) hard as its total international destinations have been reduced to 30 from 60 since the adoption of this policy.

The national aviation policy disclosed that the international passenger traffic from Pakistan has registered a 20% increase in the past four years (5% average growth per annum) but it ignored that the share of growth of the local airlines has been steeply negative.

‘This is happening due to the open sky policy that was first introduced in Pakistan in 1992. At that time, PIA had 42 aircrafts and over 60 international routes. Since the introduction of the open sky policy, foreign airlines gained access to Pakistan and started expanding their operations following the lead of PIA,’ said former deputy managing director (DMD) PIA, Khursheed Anwar.

PIA operates with only 18 operational aircrafts and flies to a mere less than 30 international destinations. ‘Routes and networks are considered to be the main strategic asset of any commercial airline. Countries through their policies and practices strive to protect and safeguard the commercial interests of their airlines,’ added the expert.

The criticism of open sky policies is not just a local affair; it in fact is one the most heated issues across the world where the airlines of even the most developed countries are objecting to it. US Pilots Association has initiated a campaign to restrict some foreign airlines in the US as they feel these airlines have introduced unfair competition and posed threats to jobs and long-term viability of US airline industry.

The National Aviation Policy defends the approach of open skies, though the same is now being challenged by its pioneers (the US and European carriers). In the policy, the reason for growth in traffic in the leading emerging economies of the world including China, Korea, India and Malaysia is wrongly attributed to the policy of open skies and liberalization, the expert added.

The non-native airlines are offering relatively cheap fares; they are carrying Pakistani passengers from their (foreign airlines’) airports to various destinations, especially to Europe and USA. ‘Pakistani airlines are therefore progressively losing their market share,’ said an Aviation expert.

According to an estimate, over $500 million business can be diverted to Pakistani airlines only if the service agreements of the foreign airlines are reviewed and rationalized, said the expert.

Furthermore, he added, a brotherly Muslim country’s airline has started carrying more and more passengers from Pakistan to USA, UK and other countries. ‘Even most developed countries, including USA, Japan and the UK who claim to be champions of liberalization and deregulation ensure protection to the commercial interests of their airlines. ‘For example, PIA since long has been trying to get traffic rights from London to East Coast of USA or from Tokyo to West Coast of USA, and the aviation authorities for both routes have continually declined several requests made by PIA,’ reasoned the expert.

While Pakistani airlines are not getting any help, some foreign airlines are getting massive subsides of billions of dollars from their respective governments, he said, adding that as per the fundamental principle of reciprocity and bilateralism, the frequency and capacity of flights between any two countries is always based upon the potential flow of genuine traffic between the respective countries.

PIA General Manager Public Relations Amir Memon said that in the era of open market economy, a conservative aviation policy would only alienate the country and damage revenues. He said that PIA’s market edge is its direct flights which are not being challenged by these non-native airlines carrying local passengers. He also mentioned that PIA is procuring more aircrafts as two A320’s would be added to the fleet in the next couple of months while four more aircrafts would be added to the fleet by the end of the year. This would further allow the national carrier to benefit from the policy instead of being a victim of it.

source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-37253-Open-skies-policy-damaging-PIA