Just a reminder: ACARS isn't private

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DEF CON 28: Introduction to ACARS | Pen Test Partners

This post is a companion to the DEF CON 28 video available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFS6qNAi0B8 What is ACARS? ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, pronounced ‘ay-cars’) which is an avionics system used to for sending text messages between ground and...
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Just keep in mind that there are many ways to leak data, and consider what you send via public or public-adjacent networks.

That is all. ^_^

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No reason the company can’t encrypt their ACARS traffic, then just use an app on the EFB to decode/encode.

(actually, yes reason, some countries get all aggro when foreigners show up and start sending encrypted VHF traffic from w/in their borders … I guess SSL gets a pass because of the so many layers of indirection)
 
In similar news, a 787 UA pilot forgot a passport, requiring an air turn back to SFO.


Don’t get me started on the FFDO program. Useless, just an excuse for gung-go gun carrying. So far, 1 bullet hole in an A320. And now 1 international diversion diversion.
 
It was never meant to be private

Our airline had a good row over an argument between a dispatcher and the captain of one flight…

The captain was diverting and the dispatcher didn’t agree with the airport the captain was diverting to..l. The dispatcher then sent a message to the wrong audience. Meaning to send it to other dispatchers. Saying “the idiot is diverting to XYZ I hope he gets stuck.” But the dispatcher sent it to the flight via ACARs. There was no further messages from the aircraft back to dispatch and only one further message from dispatch to the flight. “I didn’t mean to sent that to you.”

The pilot group got to read the whole ACARs message chain over DECs via the convoluted command line interface.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
In similar news, a 787 UA pilot forgot a passport, requiring an air turn back to SFO.


Don’t get me started on the FFDO program. Useless, just an excuse for gung-go gun carrying. So far, 1 bullet hole in an A320. And now 1 international diversion diversion.
Click to expand...
OUTRAGE

Now count up all the guns left in bathrooms.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
In similar news, a 787 UA pilot forgot a passport, requiring an air turn back to SFO.


Don’t get me started on the FFDO program. Useless, just an excuse for gung-go gun carrying. So far, 1 bullet hole in an A320. And now 1 international diversion diversion.
Click to expand...
There’s undoubtedly some hassles with the program, but I wouldn’t say it’s useless. I think it’s a nice deterrent actually.
 
Kingairer said:
There’s undoubtedly some hassles with the program, but I wouldn’t say it’s useless. I think it’s a nice deterrent actually.
Click to expand...


A deterrent so good, not allowed outside the 50 states. No other country in the world. And somehow they manage just fine.

One bullet hole in an A320, check.

One FO threatening a CA with a gun about CA choice of diverting, check.



I have yet to meet a ‘normal’ person FFDO.
 
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