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At least several years ago, the cracked John Deere firmware was done by Ukrainian hackers. This seems like a serious vulnerability for supply-side attacks. Hig

At least several years ago, the cracked John Deere firmware was done by Ukrainian hackers. This seems like a serious vulnerability for supply-side attacks. High-end tractors have been driving autonomously for years, with precise GPS, multiple cameras, Internet connections, etc. It's not unthinkable that hostile nation-state actors could hack the firmware to simply direct a 25-ton combine to leave the field and drive through the nearest population center (or high-voltage transmission line, oil storage tank, etc.)

the-dude 6y ago
You are joking, right?
jandrese 6y ago
The 5kph vehicle of terror!! Very slowly menacing the population! It's like those bad monster movies where the people just stand their screaming while guy in the heavy and clunky rubber suit slowly waddles towards them. Hacking something like a Tesla would probably be better. At least then you can maximize the V in your E=1/2mv^2 calculation.
- anticensor 6y ago
  Combine harvesters can travel up to 40km/h when the harvesting mill is not operating.
  - Daho0n 6y ago
    Then they are just a slow truck. Hacking a truck would then be a more effective route.
- LinuxBender 6y ago
  I need to find you some pictures of this. It happened, but with an angry human in Vermont. Flattened a bunch of police cars. Here are some [1] but I know there were more [2][3]. Trying to find the pictures of the cops laughing. Well, those pictures are gone, but you can see most of the story. [1] - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vermont-man-uses-tractor-flatten-8-police-cars-flna921702 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vermont-man-uses-tracto... [2] - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-farmer-crushed-cop-cars-tractor-revenge-drug-arrest.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-f... [3] - https://motleynews.net/2012/08/03/lmao-vermont-man-upset-over-mj-arrest-uses-tractor-to-crush-7-police-cars/ https://motleynews.net/2012/08/03/lmao-vermont-man-upset-ove...
  - Person5478 6y ago
    That is absolutely hilarious.
  - whomst 6y ago
    There's also the Killdozer with Marvin Heemeyer but it was a bulldozer effectively turned into a tank
    - LinuxBender 6y ago
      I remember the videos of that. That would be a good example of high damage low risk to someone that takes control of a GPS/AI controlled bulldozer. And that was just one bulldozer. Imagine if every tractor, bulldozer, rock hauler, excavator were connected to a gaming engine and suddenly went full quake-3 arena at the same time.
  - jhawk28 6y ago
    Our neighbor would chase "trespassing" police off his property with a bucket loader (tractor with a bucket).
jldugger 6y ago
> 25-ton combine to leave the field and drive through the nearest population center Well, the good news is these things have a pretty low top speed, so I think you'd be able to dodge out of the way.
- Laarlf 6y ago
  Tractors gave top speeds over 20 mph. If i was on foot, i would not call that "low"
  - grogenaut 6y ago
    and if they have to swerve to hit you they're going to roll. they are not stable vehicles at speed.
  - jldugger 6y ago
    slow enough to run to the left / right if you see it coming, since the turning radius is pretty wide.
ClumsyPilot 6y ago
This is just a fantasy - they have to have a driver inside. Their ripoff prices, however, are very much real
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
tux1968 6y ago
Come on. Having a physical ignition switch that isn't controlled electronically is not a new idea.

the-dude 6y ago

You are joking, right?

jandrese 6y ago

The 5kph vehicle of terror!! Very slowly menacing the population! It's like those bad monster movies where the people just stand their screaming while guy in the heavy and clunky rubber suit slowly waddles towards them. Hacking something like a Tesla would probably be better. At least then you can maximize the V in your E=1/2mv^2 calculation.

anticensor 6y ago
Combine harvesters can travel up to 40km/h when the harvesting mill is not operating.
- Daho0n 6y ago
  Then they are just a slow truck. Hacking a truck would then be a more effective route.
LinuxBender 6y ago
I need to find you some pictures of this. It happened, but with an angry human in Vermont. Flattened a bunch of police cars. Here are some [1] but I know there were more [2][3]. Trying to find the pictures of the cops laughing. Well, those pictures are gone, but you can see most of the story. [1] - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vermont-man-uses-tractor-flatten-8-police-cars-flna921702 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vermont-man-uses-tracto... [2] - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-farmer-crushed-cop-cars-tractor-revenge-drug-arrest.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-f... [3] - https://motleynews.net/2012/08/03/lmao-vermont-man-upset-over-mj-arrest-uses-tractor-to-crush-7-police-cars/ https://motleynews.net/2012/08/03/lmao-vermont-man-upset-ove...
- Person5478 6y ago
  That is absolutely hilarious.
- whomst 6y ago
  There's also the Killdozer with Marvin Heemeyer but it was a bulldozer effectively turned into a tank
  - LinuxBender 6y ago
    I remember the videos of that. That would be a good example of high damage low risk to someone that takes control of a GPS/AI controlled bulldozer. And that was just one bulldozer. Imagine if every tractor, bulldozer, rock hauler, excavator were connected to a gaming engine and suddenly went full quake-3 arena at the same time.
- jhawk28 6y ago
  Our neighbor would chase "trespassing" police off his property with a bucket loader (tractor with a bucket).

jldugger 6y ago

> 25-ton combine to leave the field and drive through the nearest population center Well, the good news is these things have a pretty low top speed, so I think you'd be able to dodge out of the way.

Laarlf 6y ago
Tractors gave top speeds over 20 mph. If i was on foot, i would not call that "low"
- grogenaut 6y ago
  and if they have to swerve to hit you they're going to roll. they are not stable vehicles at speed.
- jldugger 6y ago
  slow enough to run to the left / right if you see it coming, since the turning radius is pretty wide.

ClumsyPilot 6y ago

This is just a fantasy - they have to have a driver inside. Their ripoff prices, however, are very much real

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

tux1968 6y ago

Come on. Having a physical ignition switch that isn't controlled electronically is not a new idea.