GPS spoofers can now manipulate 'time' on commercial flights
According to aviation advisory body OPSGROUP, there's been a 400% increase in GPS 'spoofing' incidents impacting commercial airlines. These digital attacks which can send planes off course, now include the ability to manipulate time. Ken Munro, founder of cybersecurity firm Pen Test Partners, shared an incident where an aircraft had its clocks suddenly advanced by years due to spoofing, causing it to lose access to its digitally-encrypted communication systems.
Usage of unauthorized ground-based GPS systems
Munro said that GPS is not just a source of position but also a source of time. Many of these spoofing incidents involve unauthorized ground-based GPS systems, particularly around conflict zones, broadcasting false positions to confuse incoming drones or missiles.
Spoofing incidents can lead to serious complications
The aircraft mentioned by Munro was grounded for weeks while the engineers had to manually reset its onboard systems. However, Munro declined to identify the airline or aircraft involved. In April, Finnair temporarily paused flights to Tartu, an eastern Estonian city, due to GPS spoofing incidents which Tallin blamed on neighboring Russia.
GPS spoofing: A growing threat to aviation safety
GPS has mostly replaced expensive ground devices that transmit radio beams to guide the planes toward landing. Despite its prevalence, it is relatively easy to block or distort GPS signals using cheap and easily obtainable parts with limited technological knowledge. While these spoofing incidents do not directly cause plane crashes, Munro warned that they could trigger a cascade of minor events leading to serious complications. "What it does is it just creates a little confusion," Munro told Reuters.
