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Hacked - Is TMC In For An Even Rockier Ride?

 
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:49 am    Post subject: Hacked - Is TMC In For An Even Rockier Ride? Reply with quote

pocketgpsworld.comAccording to an article at Computerworld.com, two 'Security Experts (aka hackers) at CanSecWest, a security conference in Vancouver, have found a way to send false TMC data to RDS-TMC equipped satnav systems.

Using off the shelf hardware they transmitted data using the RDS system warning of foul weather. Through experimentation they found that certain codes translated into specific warnings. Whilst on the surface this is mildly amusing, for example there are TMC codes for 'bull fight in progress'. Others have a a much darker under current such as 'terrorist incident' and 'air crash'.

Clearly the concern is that with a system apparently so easily compromised it could be hacked maliciously. Amazingly the RDS data itself is not encrypted in any way nor is any form of authentication of the messages carried out. Given the issues many have had with reception of RDS-TMC, particularly here in the UK, it brings the entire service into sharp focus once again and raises the question of its long term viability, especially when there are other alternatives beginning to appear.
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GPS_fan
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If the software on a GPS is programmed to accept data from one TMC provider, but not another surely a hacker would have to make malicious messages provider-specific.

I remember that one article about malicious TMC messages was an April fool, but have we not seen other genuine reports of such activity with off the shelf products?
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

GPS_fan wrote:
If the software on a GPS is programmed to accept data from one TMC provider, but not another surely a hacker would have to make malicious messages provider-specific.

It is, but only be means of having TMC code tables for that provider is it's map data.

So yes you would need to discover the correct message code for each provider but as has been proven, that is remarkably easy to achieve.
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emjaiuk
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really wish you hadn't posted this, I can see TT blaming hackers for their current TMC interpretation problems Laughing

ps Have you managed to speak to them about that Darren?

Malcolm
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have asked for comment but not received any feedback as yet Sad
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emjaiuk
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
I have asked for comment but not received any feedback as yet Sad


As expected but thanks anyway
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Hacked - Is TMC In For An Even Rockier Ride? Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
Using off the shelf hardware they transmitted data using the RDS system warning of foul weather. Through experimentation they found that certain codes translated into specific warnings. Whilst on the surface this is mildly amusing, for example there are TMC codes for 'bull fight in progress'


Laughing Out Loud
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