A Flight 370 Conspiracy Theory Worthy of HN

5 points by spikels 12y ago ↗ HN

What is the plane's computer systems were hacked?

Stay with me a moment. The 777 is a fly-by-wire airplane so an exploit could potentially take control of the plane. My understanding is that the computer can't shut off the transponder or radios (is this correct?) but what if the pilots were "told" to disconnect these systems or else the hacked flight computer would crash the plane. A short terrifying dive and I bet they would comply. It could then fly some remote airfield and demand the pilots land the plane.

C'mon it could work!

4 comments

[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 16.2 ms ] thread

chopin 12y ago ↗

See http://conference.hitb.org/hitbsecconf2013ams/hugo-teso/ for instance...

Imho this would require a state actor to pull it off.

spikels 12y ago ↗

Thanks - very interesting presentation. I could almost imagine North Korea doing this but not to a plane full of Chinese - their leader is crazy but not suicidal.

doxydexydroxide 12y ago ↗

Search for "Bob Yeh" and Boeing 777 fly by wire.

Also search for ARINC 629 "safebus".

Also search for ARINC 653 related documentation

Also search for ARINC 615 related documents.

Read Byzantine Fault Tolerance, from Theory to Reality http://www.cs.indiana.edu/classes/b649-sjoh/reading/Driscoll...

Also read "Schrödinger's CRCs" www.cs.indiana.edu/~lepike/pubs/pike-dsn-paper.pdf

It's possible. But not as simple as you might think!

saltcookie 12y ago ↗

I came up with this idea, in my orignal post. It is tottaly possible, like fly by wire could break all communication with the outside world, and make the plane fly in an unknown direction. Even if ur on a the plane, what the fuck r u gona do it u dont have any control over it nor can communicate with the outside world ur traped.