Written by: Cadence

A cyber security expert claims to have found a way to hack passenger jets through their in-flight entertainment systems.

Ruben Santamarta revealed his research at last month’s Black Hat conference, a major hacking convention held in Las Vegas.

He explained how vulnerabilities in airlines’ satellite communications system can be exploited by hackers. Santamarta claimed that it is possible to use the Wi-Fi signal or in-flight entertainment system to hack into avionics equipment, providing access to interfere with navigation or safety systems. 

Image Source: thehackernews.com

He said his finding “doesn’t mean we can crash an aircraft”, although it may be possible to feed pilots erroneous data, which could be extremely dangerous.

IOActive stated 100% of satellite communications devices can be abused, including those by the world’s leading SATCOM vendors. Santamarta said: “These devices are wide open. The goal of this talk is to help change that situation”.

Multiple backdoors, hardcoded log-in details and weak encryption algorithms were just some of the issues highlighted in the communications firmware. Used on air, sea and land, the systems’ vulnerabilities provide a threat to military personnel, emergency services, industries and media providers.

The research by Santamarta, a consultant with security firm IOActive, has not yet been tested in the real world. He reverse engineered the firmware in laboratory conditions. Manufacturers have dismissed his work, claiming the risks are “small” or that hackers would need direct access to carry out an attack.

A similar issue was noted at last year’s Hack In The Box security conference in Amsterdam. Hugo Teso, a security expert and commercial pilot, raised concerns that it’s possible to take control over an aircraft’s flight path by delivering attack messages through an Android app.

His findings were dismissed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Teso, however, said he was in contact with members of the airline industry and they were working on addressing the issues.

Related Articles: Hack You Home Appliances and Devices

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Sources

http://thehackernews.com/2014/08/airplanes-can-be-hacked-through_4.html

http://mashable.com/2014/08/07/how-to-hack-an-airplane-black-hat/

https://www.blackhat.com/us-14/briefings.html#satcom-terminals-hacking-by-air-sea-and-land

Image Source of Post Thumbnail: http://blogmytuts.blogspot.se/

Ahmad Hassanat, a scientist at a University in Jordan, has created an automated lip-reading system with a success rate of 76%. Though he admits there are many hurdles to making the technology perfect, in our surveillance-obsessed society, it’s only a matter of time – especially when you consider the CIA is already seeking out lip-reading services. Watch The Full Video Below:

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Written by: Tech.Anonymous

Harkonnen, described as “A huge data-stealing cyber espionage campaign that targeted Banks, Corporations and Governments” has been discovered and clamped upon by the jaws of Israeli based company Cybertinel. According to a press release let out by the company, this malware network has been collecting information through the use of two system Trojans for right around 12 years now. The biggest countries affected to date would be Germany, Switzerland and Austria but, as forensics deconstruct and weasel their way through the system you can imagine how widespread this all may be. As a matter of opinion, you may need to imagine it because the odds are, no one will ever admit that this has affected their company or government for this long without finding it unless…. Conspiracy theory anyone? 

The initial breach was found by CyberTinel while implementing their endpoint security platform for a company holding sensitive information for its international clients. After digging into it like a Dachshund hunting a rabbit, analysts were able to find the original domain registered to a company in the U.K. and…ready for this one? 833 more companies.  Real companies? fake companies? There’s no definitive information on that. But, they were ALL registered within the U.K. How? Apparently the U.K. has slightly less stringent lines to follow when purchasing SSL security certificates.  Did someone make money in quantity over quality or was this whole faux pas in the rules just an oversight?  Supposedly Cybertinel has been able to sift through and actually trace back to the original parties responsible for the start of Harkonnen. Time and media may or may not tell.

If you would be so kind, let’s shimmy down that rabbit hole. Now that the basic details are up and running let’s have curiosity take over.  The information that’s been released by Cybertinel and other articles out here is sort of limited and redundant but, it leaves enough simplistic questions to think about if you allow your mind to go back to basics. Considering that there was a monetary investment of around $150,000 to purchase certificates, IP addresses and hundreds of domain names is it possible that one lone person is the mastermind of all this? Sure. It’s possible. The whole “project” had to have at least one brilliant mind with an unending foresight of what was to come in the way of future internet commerce and computing but, then there’s the money. On the flipside of that coin; were there 10 different people hired to solve one piece of a “puzzle”? Whodunnit? organized crime? Someone’s government? Could this be an original version of the CIA’s PROTON? CRISSCROSS? Or the NSA’s IREACH?  It’s not a far stretch is it? Monitoring and stealing information is what it seems to be all about. It could have been planted by Extra-terrestrials as a monitoring platform for our whole world society. It came from somewhere.

This operation lasted for 12 years through technological advancements, leaps and jumps. The hindrance and damage caused to business and science could be unimaginable.  To play Devil’s advocate… has it stopped any wars? Fed any people?  Helped accelerate our science? If it has will anyone admit it?

Lastly, I cannot help but wonder… After being active for what seems to be an aeon in the computing age, did Cybertinel really just find this? Or was Harkonnen abandoned for an upgraded system and allowed to be found as a distraction?

Mr Owl, How many licks does it take to get to the center? The world may never know.

Think, learn. We are Anonymous and we are strong.

Link: Protect your mobile devices from hackers & government and surf anonymously 

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Sources:

http://cybertinel.com/press-release-harkonnen-operation/

http://thehackernews.com/2014/09/harkonnen-operation-malware-campaign_16.html