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Your fear of flying is only going to get worse once you hear what these white hat hackers figured out to do with a popular airliner.
As Wired reports, a team of security researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Oberlin College created a device the size of a coin that can take over the autopilot system of a Boeing 737 and change its flight plan, not to mention tampering with key values in its takeoff and fuel calculations.
According to its creators, the device could also change the data on a pilot’s screen so they don’t notice anything’s amiss — or even trick a pilot into making a disastrous decision.
“If you could get 60 seconds with an airplane, what could you do?” Stefan Savage, a UCSL professor who led the project, asked Wired. “Well, it turns out there’s a port that’s externally accessible. You can get to it with no special tools in about 15 seconds. And you can shove in a piece of electronics a little bigger than a quarter that lets you basically tell the autopilot what to do and lie to the pilot about changes to the flight plan.”
The attack relies on plugging the device, which costs less than $100, into a port hidden by a hatch on the exterior of the plane, which the researchers say is easily within reach of maintenance workers and airline staff. Once the device is plugged in, it could connect to the plane’s in-flight Wi-Fi system and allow a hacker to remotely control the aircraft’s systems from terra firma.
As Savage explained to Wired, his team found this vulnerability after spending years cobbling together 737 computer parts to effectively recreate the plane’s nervous system. Inspired by credit card skimming devices that plug into ATMs to steal your information, they realized that an entire aircraft could be broken into by physically plugging a device into its internal “bus” — the system that connects different components of its computer.
And after digging through Boeing wiring diagrams, they found their way in: a port carrying data between the plane’s Flight Manage Computer and the pilot’s display unit, accessible from an unlocked hatch on the plane’s exterior.
It was like finding “the goddamn exhaust port on the Death Star,” Savage told Wired.
The havoc a hacker wreaks using their attack could be catastrophic. They could feed the pilot the wrong information about the air temperature outside or about the weight of its cargo and passengers and cause them to miss the speed they need for takeoff before running out of runway, Wired noted. Or they could suddenly change its navigation and crash it into a mountain.
The attacks could also be far more sneaky.
“It could be something as subtle as, you’re in the Pacific, you see blue everywhere, and this diverts you 3 degrees off course, and now you’re in the middle of nowhere,” Aaron Schulman, another UCSD professor working on the project, told the magazine.
Savage and Schulman shared their findings with Boeing six years ago and have worked closely with the company to explore the vulnerability.
But the researchers say that Boeing hasn’t told them about any fix to the vulnerabilities they found. In fact, they say it’s likely that it any fix may not have been implemented yet, since commercial airplanes are rarely redesigned.
You shouldn’t panic though, they insist.
“All of the authors of this paper routinely travel on Boeing 737 aircraft and expect to continue doing so,” they wrote in their paper.
Beau Woods, a former adviser to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Boeing’s Industry Cyber Technical Council, was alarmed by the findings.
“It is entirely possible to have someone who is on staff go up to an airplane when it’s on the ground, going through maintenance, and put this type of thing in there,” Woods told Wired.
“This is something the aviation industry will want to plan to defend against,” Savage agreed. “I would not sleep on this one.”
More on aviation: Why Aren’t Any AI Companies Watching Their Frontier Models to Make Sure They Don’t Go on Hacking Sprees?
The post Hackers Created a Device That Can Take Over a Boeing 737 Jet’s Autopilot Without Anyone Noticing appeared first on Futurism.
A local post office owner in Liverpool says he has never seen anything like the surge in demand for solar eclipse glasses, describing the rush as “crazy” as customers race to secure a pair before the celestial event.
The specialist glasses, which are essential for safely viewing a solar eclipse without damaging the eyes, have become a hot commodity as public excitement builds. Unlike ordinary sunglasses, eclipse glasses use specially designed filters that block out nearly all visible light, as well as harmful ultraviolet and infrared radiation, allowing viewers to look directly at the sun during the event without risking permanent eye damage.
Retailers across the region are reportedly struggling to keep pace with orders, with stock disappearing almost as soon as it arrives. The shortage highlights both the growing public interest in astronomical events and the challenges small businesses face when demand spikes unexpectedly. Experts continue to stress that looking directly at the sun without proper protection, even during a partial eclipse, can cause serious and irreversible eye damage, making certified eclipse glasses a crucial purchase for anyone hoping to witness the phenomenon safely.
As the date of the eclipse approaches, shoppers are being urged to act quickly and to verify that any glasses they purchase meet recognized international safety standards, as counterfeit or substandard products have previously circulated during periods of high demand.
The post Eclipse Glasses Fly Off Shelves as Skywatchers Scramble to Prepare first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
Skywatchers across Scotland are keeping their fingers crossed as forecasts suggest cloud cover could obscure much of the country’s view of the upcoming solar eclipse. The partial eclipse, a striking celestial event where the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, has generated excitement among astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers alike, but weather conditions may dampen the spectacle for many.
Meteorologists note that cloud patterns can shift in the hours leading up to the eclipse, so there remains hope that breaks in the cloud cover could offer fleeting glimpses of the phenomenon in some areas. Regions with clearer skies stand the best chance of witnessing the Moon’s shadow creep across the Sun, while those under thick cloud may need to rely on live broadcasts or online streams to experience the event.
Solar eclipses offer a valuable opportunity for scientific observation and public engagement with astronomy, reminding us of the dynamic relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun. Experts continue to remind viewers never to look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection, such as certified eclipse glasses, even when the Sun is partially obscured. Those hoping to catch the event are encouraged to check localized weather updates as the time approaches, since conditions can change quickly and vary significantly between regions of Scotland.
The post Cloudy Skies May Block Scotland’s View of Solar Eclipse first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
A significant pollution incident has devastated fish populations along a 5-kilometer stretch of the Kilkeel River in Northern Ireland’s Mourne Mountains area, with officials warning that multiple generations of fish have been effectively wiped out.
The Department of Environment confirmed the extent of the damage, describing a scene of substantial ecological harm along the waterway. Rivers like the Kilkeel serve as vital habitats for fish species, and the destruction of multiple generations suggests both breeding adults and juvenile fish have perished, a setback that could take years to reverse.
Pollution incidents of this scale typically stem from agricultural runoff, chemical spills, or wastewater discharge, though the specific cause has not been detailed. Such events often deplete oxygen levels in the water or introduce toxins directly harmful to aquatic life, leaving rivers unable to support fish populations until natural recovery processes—or active restocking efforts—take hold.
Environmental officials are expected to continue investigating the source of the contamination as part of efforts to prevent future incidents and support the river’s long-term recovery. The Mourne Mountains area is prized for its natural beauty and biodiversity, making this loss particularly concerning for local conservationists and anglers who rely on healthy river ecosystems.
The post Pollution Incident Wipes Out Generations of Fish in Kilkeel River first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
A hydrogen combustion vehicle has roared into the record books, hitting a top speed of 406 miles per hour and smashing the previous benchmark set back in 2004. The new mark is more than double the speed of that earlier record, marking a major leap forward for hydrogen-based propulsion technology in high-performance applications.
The achievement highlights growing momentum behind hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels, not just for everyday transportation but for extreme engineering feats as well. Unlike battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen combustion cars burn hydrogen fuel directly, producing power through a modified combustion process while emitting primarily water vapor rather than carbon dioxide. This makes the technology an intriguing middle ground between traditional internal combustion engines and zero-emission electric drivetrains.
Land speed record attempts have long served as proving grounds for emerging automotive technology, and this run is no exception. Engineers and clean energy advocates see the milestone as evidence that hydrogen power can compete on performance, not just sustainability credentials. As governments and manufacturers continue investing in hydrogen infrastructure, from fueling stations to industrial applications, records like this help build public confidence that clean energy vehicles don’t have to sacrifice speed or excitement.
While hydrogen combustion vehicles remain a niche category compared to battery-electric cars, breakthroughs like this one could help accelerate research and investment into hydrogen as a broader climate solution, particularly for sectors like aviation, shipping, and heavy trucking, where battery weight remains a significant hurdle.
The post Hydrogen-Powered Car Shatters Land Speed Record with 406 MPH Run first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
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