Aviation Cyber defense campus locates gaps in aircraft collision warning system
There are two vulnerabilities in the collision warning system for civil aviation. They were discovered by specialists at the Federal Cyber Defense Campus. The responsible US authorities classify the vulnerabilities as moderate and severe respectively.
10.02.2025, 11:00
10.02.2025, 11:48
SDA
According to a statement issued by the Federal Office of Armaments (Armasuisse) on Monday, a team from the Cyber Defense Campus succeeded in triggering false warnings on a pilot cockpit. These were carried out on a certified processor of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II, with its own radio setup.
In January, the US Cyber Defense Agency (CISA) and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) classified the vulnerabilities as moderate and severe respectively. This assessment is groundbreaking for other regions, Armasuisse wrote, including Europe.
According to the FAA's assessment, no technical countermeasures are available, as Armasuisse noted. TCAS is mandatory for civil aircraft weighing 5.7 tons or more and serves as a final measure to prevent collisions.
