4 ms·

Polish aeroplanes grounded by computer hack

52 points by SpaceInvader 11y ago

userbinator 11y ago
LOT stressed that the glitch did not affect the airport or aeroplanes that were already in the air. In other words, this doesn't seem like an actual avionics hack. It's some other system being targeted, so the planes themselves are probably still OK.
- bigiain 11y ago
  And, as the airlines keep assuring us "the avionics are completely separate to the other on board systems": http://www.wired.com/2015/05/feds-say-banned-researcher-commandeered-plane/ http://www.wired.com/2015/05/feds-say-banned-researcher-comm... Oh yeah, except for "some Boeing and Airbus planes"… Somehow "industry reassurance" that this is "impossible" isn't to reassuring…
- rasz_pl 11y ago
  Hack disrupted flight plan generation = no new flights. LOT spokesperson stated during radio interview they turned off internal network responsible for flight plan generation when they realized it was compromised by a hacker, so it wasnt even a hacker directly DOSing their operations.
branchless 11y ago
> Poland has announced a deal to buy US Patriot surface-to-air missiles, amid rising tension with Russia. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32405650 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32405650
- grzaks 11y ago
  How is that relevant to the LOT issue?
  - idlewords 11y ago
    It's a red herring meant to distract us from the chemtrails
c-slice 11y ago
"We're using state-of-the-art computer systems, so this could potentially be a threat to others in the industry," Companies that describe their computer systems as state-of-the-art probably usually have legacy mainframes with duct tape patches.
- userbinator 11y ago
  In aerospace, tried-and-true "legacy" systems are much preferred to "state-of-the-art", as newer often means there are more bugs that have yet to be discovered.
- zhte415 11y ago
  > Companies that describe their computer systems as state-of-the-art probably usually have legacy mainframes with duct tape patches. I prefer mainframes with programs that are tried and tested.
- odiroot 11y ago
  Also LOT's quality and customer support is really questionable, with premium prices at that. One story: I was flying turbo-propeller from Warsaw to Vienna and the cockpit door opened itself (seriously, without any intervention) during take-off. The stewardesses didn't seem to care for quite a long time. And here I thought we've had these strict rules after 9/11.
  - mbq 11y ago
    Turboprop business is an another airline, eurolot; it changes, but it is often a separate company.
  - idlewords 11y ago
    Indeed, a huge missed opportunity for al-Qaeda.
- bechampion 11y ago
  i thought the same.
- 11y ago
therockspush 11y ago
Everybody is waiting for the story of somebody hacking a 747 and flying it from the economy plus section. It'll happen eventually, but hacking the computer that filed the flight plan is not hacking the plane. If LOT had a few back up laptops on a different network they would have been able to file flight plans with no delays. State of the art, space aged technology.

52 points by SpaceInvader 11y ago

LOT stressed that the glitch did not affect the airport or aeroplanes that were already in the air. In other words, this doesn't seem like an actual avionics hack. It's some other system being targeted, so the planes themselves are probably still OK.

bigiain 11y ago
And, as the airlines keep assuring us "the avionics are completely separate to the other on board systems": http://www.wired.com/2015/05/feds-say-banned-researcher-commandeered-plane/ http://www.wired.com/2015/05/feds-say-banned-researcher-comm... Oh yeah, except for "some Boeing and Airbus planes"… Somehow "industry reassurance" that this is "impossible" isn't to reassuring…
rasz_pl 11y ago
Hack disrupted flight plan generation = no new flights. LOT spokesperson stated during radio interview they turned off internal network responsible for flight plan generation when they realized it was compromised by a hacker, so it wasnt even a hacker directly DOSing their operations.

branchless 11y ago

> Poland has announced a deal to buy US Patriot surface-to-air missiles, amid rising tension with Russia. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32405650 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32405650

grzaks 11y ago
How is that relevant to the LOT issue?
- idlewords 11y ago
  It's a red herring meant to distract us from the chemtrails

c-slice 11y ago

"We're using state-of-the-art computer systems, so this could potentially be a threat to others in the industry," Companies that describe their computer systems as state-of-the-art probably usually have legacy mainframes with duct tape patches.

userbinator 11y ago
In aerospace, tried-and-true "legacy" systems are much preferred to "state-of-the-art", as newer often means there are more bugs that have yet to be discovered.
zhte415 11y ago
> Companies that describe their computer systems as state-of-the-art probably usually have legacy mainframes with duct tape patches. I prefer mainframes with programs that are tried and tested.
odiroot 11y ago
Also LOT's quality and customer support is really questionable, with premium prices at that. One story: I was flying turbo-propeller from Warsaw to Vienna and the cockpit door opened itself (seriously, without any intervention) during take-off. The stewardesses didn't seem to care for quite a long time. And here I thought we've had these strict rules after 9/11.
- mbq 11y ago
  Turboprop business is an another airline, eurolot; it changes, but it is often a separate company.
- idlewords 11y ago
  Indeed, a huge missed opportunity for al-Qaeda.
bechampion 11y ago
i thought the same.
11y ago

therockspush 11y ago

Everybody is waiting for the story of somebody hacking a 747 and flying it from the economy plus section. It'll happen eventually, but hacking the computer that filed the flight plan is not hacking the plane. If LOT had a few back up laptops on a different network they would have been able to file flight plans with no delays. State of the art, space aged technology.