A research team from the University of California San Diego and Oberlin College demonstrated a cybersecurity testing technique using genuine Boeing 737 avionics under controlled laboratory conditions.
Researchers attached a coin-sized electronic implant to a maintenance connection inside the Electronics and Equipment bay beneath the flight deck. By injecting electrical signals onto the ARINC 429 data bus, the device overpowered legitimate communication streams and substituted manipulated data.
In laboratory demonstrations, the team altered Flight Management Computer data, including flight plans and aircraft weight calculations. Researchers emphasized that the experiment required physical ground access to the aircraft and was not conducted on operational flights.
