[essayist]

I've been itching to release this terror movie plot into the wild:

It's 2025 and more than 10% of the cars on the road in the US are self-driving. It's rush hour on a busy Friday afternoon in Washington, DC. Earlier that day, there'd been a handful of odd reports of self-driving Edsels (so as not to impugn an actual model) going haywire, and the NTSB has started its investigation.

But then, at 430pm, highway patrol units around the DC beltway notice three separate multi-Edsel phalanxes, drivers obviously trapped inside, each phalanx moving towards the Clara Barton Parkway, which enters DC from the west. Other units notice four more phalanxes, one comprising 20 Edsels, driving into DC from the east side, on Pennsylvania Avenue.

At this point, traffic helicopters see similar car clusters, more than two dozen, all over DC, all converging on a spot that looks to be between the Washington Monument and the White House.

We zoom in on the headquarters of the White House Secret Service. A woman is arguing vociferously that these cars have to be stopped before they get any closer to the White House. A colleague yells back that his wife is one of those commandeered cars and she, like the rest of the "hackjacked" drivers and passengers is innocent.

[Afforess]

I'm afraid Daemon (novel) beat you to the punch. It's an excellent novel, about fairly similar situations.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6665847-daemon

[pavel_lishin]

And a really fun read. If someone here decides to get this book, get the sequel as well - Daemon ends on kind of a cliff-hanger.

[mitchellhislop]

Freedom (TM) is the sequel, and the author (Daniel Suarez) has a few other near-term what-if-this-all-goes-skynet books which are equally good.

[Cerium]

Thank you! I didn't know there was a sequel. I really enjoyed the first book.

[noir_lord]

One of my favourites, the sequels where similarly as good.

[DickingAround]

Daemon is in that area but I'd for sure also enjoy the original proposal.

[rayval]

Cool plot line, I'd go see that movie.

A related scenario, one that theoretically could happen today, is hacking into commercial airliners auto-pilot systems, and directing dozens of flights onto a target.

Set aside the fantasy movie plot angle, how realistic is this today? Is it any more or less plausible than the millions of cars scenario? If people are truly concerned about the car scenario, shouldn't they be worrying about the aircraft scenario?

[LeifCarrotson]

I will disagree with the other commenter and say that this is more plausible for the aircraft than for the cars. Modern jetliners and military aircraft (scarrier yet) are purely fly-by-wire - there aren't cables running between the yokes and the control surfaces like in a Piper Cub, and if there were, no pilot would be strong enough to move them.

Yes, the autopilots can be turned off, but that's just a button, probably a button on the autopilot itself. Depending where the infection happens, the actual position of the yoke could be entirely ignored by the software. Or the motor controllers for the control surfaces themselves could be driving the plane, though I don't know how they could coordinate their actions and get feedback from an IMU.

Perhaps the pilots could rip out components and cut cables fast enough to prevent the plane from reaching its destination, and maybe they could tear out the affected component and limp back to a runway with what remains, but it's an entirely feasible movie plot.

But should we actually worry about either? No. The software sourcing, deployment and updating protocols at the various manufacturers of aircraft are certain to be secure. Right?

[SixSigma]

In 2007 the FAA revealed the Boeing 787 had passenger Internet traffic and flight control traffic on the same network separated via software firewall.

This gives us the classic reassuring response from Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter :

"There are places where the networks are not touching, and there are places where they are," she said.

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/dreamliner-security/

[m_mueller]

"had"? So it's fixed now, did they rewire the whole network?

[SixSigma]

Oh, I don't know if they ever air gapped them fully. The FAA made them do some changes is all I know.

[mschuster91]

> Yes, the autopilots can be turned off, but that's just a button, probably a button on the autopilot itself.

Airplaine components tend to have shitloads of fuses for each components, any trained pilot knows how to disable the fuse for the autopilot system (or, in an extreme case, ALL fuses to kill the entire airplane).

[seanp2k2]

In the airplane case, it's possible today: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CXv1j3GbgLk

And

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy3nXXZgqmg

TL;DR you simulate a bunch of other planes in close proximity and the auto-pilot freaks out and tries to avoid them. As the second talk explains, the pilots would definitely notice and switch autopilot off. This is why IMO it's very important to not take ultimate control away from humans in cars. I would personally never buy one of the Google (or any other) self-driving models with no controls. It already freaks me out that many cars are drive-by-wire (for the accelerator), and now even steer-by-wire: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/electric-feel-nissan-di... #noThankYouPlease

[neurotech1]

No current airliner will automatically change course in response to a traffic conflict. If TCAS [0] gives an advisory, the pilot takes manual control or reprograms the autopilot. Spoofing transponder returns wouldn't do much to the aircraft except annoy the pilots.

Another reason traffic spoofing wouldn't cause the aircraft to deviate is that airliners fly standard approaches and departures (STAR [1] and SID [2]) and heavy traffic away from the approach paths would definitely get noticed.

Even the fly-by-wire Airbus can be flown manually using differential thrust and/or pitch trim control.

The only time I've heard of an Airbus loosing control of a damaged engine is when the electrical cable was physically severed. This was Qantas QF32 [1], after one engine exploded and damaged the cables to another engine.

To "take over" an aircraft with pilots in the cockpit, would require the compromise to multiple systems.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision_avoidance_sy...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_terminal_arrival_rout...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_instrument_departure_...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_32

[EmployedRussian]

> I would personally never buy one of the Google (or any other) self-driving models with no controls.

Google cars have the Big Red Button, which shuts off self-driving system and brings the car to a stop.

What more controls do you need?

[infinite8s]

When are you barreling down a highway at 65 miles per hour, turning off the car might not be the best solution.

[EmployedRussian]

When you are barreling down a highway at 65 miles per hour and are not paying attention (and you wouldn't, because the car drives itself just fine), giving you controls is much more dangerous (for you and others around you) then not.

Urmson talks about it here: https://youtu.be/Uj-rK8V-rik?t=14m3s

[blackflame7000]

If a fuel injection system were to fail via fried component or even a short would trip a fuse and cause it to fail safe by cutting fuel and shutting off the car. Fuel Throttle cables however have definitely become stuck in their sheathing in the WOT position. Happened to my dad on the highway in a 1992 Rodeo Isuzu.

[landryraccoon]

> I would personally never buy one of the Google (or any other) self-driving models with no controls.

It won't matter if all the other cars on the road besides yours don't have controls.

[sk5t]

A minor point, but the electronic accelerator control in autos is called "throttle-by-wire."

[dfox]

I've always seen that called EPC for Electronic Pedal Control, but that is probably VW-ism.

On the other hand on EFI car, having mechanical throttle cable does not add much to hack-safety as the ECU always has some way to override closed throttle (either disengaging throttle pedal mechanically switches the control of throttle to ECU operated servo or there is completely separate throttle controlled by ECU).

[pavel_lishin]

> hacking into commercial airliners auto-pilot systems, and directing dozens of flights onto a target.

I would imagine that any pilot would figure out what was going on, unless it was on an incredibly foggy day.

[blackflame7000]

It's Hollywood, name one movie where the villain did not disable the manual override. That's villainy 101.

[pavel_lishin]

Sure, but rayval was talking about a scenario that could happen today.

Although looking at the other comments, I think I'm significantly underestimating just how much of modern airliners is dependent on software. The pilots might be able to see that they're heading for disaster, but may not be able to do anything about it.

[blackflame7000]

I know for a fact that there are 3 separate computer systems from 3 separate manufacturers on each Boeing airplane. Auto-pilot always uses the consensus of the 3 machines. It's a pretty far-fetched scenario in real life so I thought we were talking fiction.

[coredog64]

Former Boeing software engineer, worked on engineering simulators (where real hardware was in the loop):

There is an idea of triple channel autolanding, wherein the plane uses the consensus of the three autolanding systems. Should no consensus be available, then the pilot is advised that autolanding is not available.

Other than that, any sourcing from different manufacturers is happenstance. 737 avionics are sourced from a different vendor than 747/757/767/777. And different functions can come from different vendors, although vendor consolidation has cut down on that.

I'm not across what happened post 777, as I left Boeing in 1999.

[tedks]

This is a good movie plot, it just has one huge plot hole:

>It's rush hour on a busy Friday afternoon in Washington, DC.

>each phalanx moving towards the Clara Barton Parkway

>all converging

DC rush hour? Moving cars? Please. Independence Day made me suspend less disbelief.

[nefitty]

Maybe it'd be waves of vehicles, the first few waves crashing through traffic to make way for the rest of the swarm... I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this doomsday scenario yet haha

[Johnny555]

You don't need self driving cars for such a scenario to happen -- cars are increasingly drive by wire, and driver assistance features being added to cars (automatic lane keeping, automatic breaking, smart cruise control, etc) mean computers are already capable of taking over cars.

[outworlder]

I've come to that realization when driving my Leaf.

You see, with an internal combustion engine, there are several ways that you can stall the engine, even if the computer is controlling it. As long as you can stop it from rotating, it will stall.

Now, take a Leaf. The engine can't physically stall. It is completely controlled by electronics – in contrast, even an ICE with an engine control unit will have some of it being driven mechanically (valves and driveshaft are all mechanical). This also causes cars to "creep" when you release the brakes, as the engine has to keep rotating. In the Leaf, the "creep" exists, but it is entirely simulated.

Similarly, the steering is also electric and controlled by algorithms (more assist in parking lot, less in the highway).

Braking is also software-controlled. The first ones had, as people called them, "grabby breaks" (it would use regenerative breaking with a light force, if you pressed more, the breaks would suddenly "grab" the wheel). This was fixed in a software update.

Turning on and off is also a button. Can't yank the keys either.

So yeah, presumably, a Leaf could turn on, engage "drive" and start driving around, all with on-board software. It lacks sensors to do anything interesting, but the basic driving controls are there.

Good thing it cannot be updated over the air.

[unprepare]

I can see it now - a modern day tiananmen square as a lone figure stands in front of a long line of Edsels

[seanp2k2]

It's Will Smith, he's the president, and he just got finished dealing with a one of his super-cute children acting up, but actually doing something noble (but getting in trouble at school for it). Upon seeing the swarm: "Aww helllll naw"

[Splines]

Autonomous machines gone haywire?

Gratuitous CGI?

Will Smith saying "Awww, hell naw"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1UxZJ9owXY

[TeMPOraL]

Preventing the terror plot because the "do not drive over humans" goal overrides the "navigate to preselected target" goal?

[unprepare]

my first thought actually was, how would the cars react to road spikes thrown by police? Especially on a highway with barriers on either side.

Of course a competent writer would've thrown in a line about how these cars are on run flats at some point...

Our only hope is for the scientists in the So-Secret-President-Doesnt-Even-Know Facility to come up with something so crazy it just might work

[pacaro]

An extremely selective and directional EMP cannon springs to mind as being sufficiently Hollywood

[brainfire]

There are actually already physical barriers throughout the governmental parts of Washington DC to prevent this sort of thing. There are permanent walls, blocks, and poles along the edges of the roads (often well-integrated into the architecture,) and raise-able barriers built into the road surface at intersections. Ain't no cars running over our president!

[essayist]

Fun. Johnny555 is right of course, and it was the Jeep hacked on the Interstate last year that first inspired me. The airplane scenario may be more likely, but I liked the additive nature of so many cars, cars a bit like insects. (You could go further in this direction by conjuring up multiple drone swarms.)

As to movie points: of course Will Smith is the hero, and we'll handle DC rush hour stasis through special effects. ;-)

[dsfyu404ed]

You're over thinking it. Hack into onstar, brick every connected vehicle at hh:mm and have some gunmen start shooting at hh:mm + 1min.

[foota]

Sounds vaugely similar to speed[1] (okay just in the sense that there's a vehicle that won't stop)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_(1994_film)

[prawn]

I'm less worried about vehicle incidents on flat surfaces and more worried by anything happening on mountain roads with deadly drops on one side.

[bigiain]

From a friend a while back:

https://medium.com/@mpesce/the-great-hack-part-one-attack-70...