GPS spoofing threatens air travel security, alarming rise in attacks

The safety of modern air travel is being called into question by a recent rise in GPS 'spoofing', a form of digital attack that can derail commercial aircraft. This revelation was brought to light by cyber security researchers who have noticed an alarming increase in such attacks over the past few months.

The problem was first highlighted during a presentation at this year's Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas. Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners reported that clocks on board airplanes have started behaving strangely during tampering events. In one case, a plane operated by a major Western airline had its onboard clocks suddenly advanced by years, causing the plane to lose access to its digitally encrypted communication systems.

The number of flights affected by GPS spoofing has increased dramatically, from an average of 200 per day in the January-March period to around 900 per day in the second quarter of 2024. On some days, as many as 1,350 flights have been affected forgeries Flight crews also report that the intensity of counterfeiting is increasing. This 400% increase in GPS attacks relates to the broader GPS ecosystem itself, rather than targeting specific aircraft.

Many of these incidents involve illicit ground-based GPS systems, particularly around conflict zones, transmitting incorrect positions to surrounding airspace in an attempt to confuse incoming drones or missiles. With conflict and near-conflict zones in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the South China Sea, the problem is expanding rapidly.

In response to this growing threat, European airlines and regulators have pledged to increase GPS tampering documentation and alert procedures. An airline industry task force has also been set up to address the issue and seek solutions. So far, no solutions have been found. With 450 organizations signed up to the group, covering those that manufacture, service and fly passenger airlines, it is clear that the situation is urgent.

The industry is now facing the reality that this type of hacking was thought to be impossible and they don't know how to fix the now glaring security failure. As the OPS group points out, the “latent and unaddressed errors” with GPS systems built into all modern aircraft “will become painfully clear when the first accident attributable to falsification occurs.”