Boeing 737 Hackable with Coin-Sized Device: Researchers Warn of Fatal Consequences

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego and Oberlin College has developed a way to hack into a Boeing 737's critical systems using a device no larger than a coin. The attack, dubbed 'Bus Driver,' exploits a vulnerability in the plane's data channel, allowing an attacker to override legitimate commands with their own.

The researchers discovered that a small port on the plane's electronics bay beneath the cockpit is accessible from outside and unprotected by more than just an unlocked hatch. Installing a device into this port takes less than 60 seconds and costs under $100, consisting mainly of off-the-shelf parts such as a microcontroller and Wi-Fi module.

The Bus Driver attack allows an attacker to interfere with critical aspects of the plane's operation, including takeoff and landing parameters, autopilot routes, and even hiding changes from pilots. This could potentially lead to fatal consequences, such as insufficient thrust for takeoff or straying into restricted airspace.

Despite their findings, the researchers themselves still fly on Boeing 737s and deliberately left out which port they used in their experiments to avoid causing real-world trouble.