Boeing 737 Aircraft Electronics System Vulnerable to Physical Attack

A team of computer scientists at the University of California San Diego has discovered a vulnerability in Boeing's 737 aircraft electronics system. The researchers found that an attacker could gain access to the plane's communications between two key onboard computers by plugging a custom-made device into an unused maintenance port.

The device, which can be installed in under 60 seconds, would allow the attacker to take over the flight management computer and change critical data such as weight, balance, and temperature. This could lead to an unsafe takeoff.

The researchers tested their findings on a testbed made of actual Boeing 737 parts and software, and successfully demonstrated the attack. They also noted that while pilots could override the changes, it would require them to detect that a compromise had occurred.

The team communicated closely with Boeing and disclosed the vulnerability in 2020. The researchers believe their findings are relevant for the aviation industry more generally, and hope to alert the community to this class of risks before they become dangerous.

According to the researchers, access to the maintenance port is not strictly controlled, making it a realistic goal for a motivated attacker.