Tiny Device Hacks Boeing 737 Autopilot System in Under a Minute

A team of researchers from UC San Diego and Oberlin College has developed a proof-of-concept hacking technique that can compromise a Boeing 737's autopilot system for less than $100. The device, roughly the size of a quarter, uses WiFi to send electrical signals to the plane's internal network, spoofing commands and changing key values in its flight plan.

The researchers spent over a decade acquiring tens of thousands of dollars worth of Boeing's computer components for testing and worked closely with the company to share their findings. They disclosed parts of their research more than six years ago and even demonstrated their findings in a Boeing test lab.

Boeing downplayed the practical risk of this physical access hacking technique, stating that it carried out its own review in response to the researchers' work. However, the researchers say they have not been told about any technical fix for the vulnerabilities they uncovered.