Hackers Could Open Convicts' Cells In Prisons

Hugh Pickens writes "Some of the same vulnerabilities that the Stuxnet superworm used to sabotage centrifuges at a nuclear plant in Iran exist in the country's top high-security prisons where programmable logic controllers (PLCs) control locks on cells and other facility doors. Researchers have already written three exploits for PLC vulnerabilities they found. 'Most people don't know how a prison or jail is designed; that's why no one has ever paid attention to it,' says John Strauchs, who plans to discuss the issue and demonstrate an exploit against the systems at the DefCon hacker conference next week. 'How many people know they're built with the same kind of PLC used in centrifuges?' A hacker would need to get his malware onto the control computer either by getting a corrupt insider to install it via an infected USB stick or send it via a phishing attack aimed at a prison staffer, since some control systems are also connected to the internet, Strauchs claims. 'Bear in mind, a prison security electronic system has many parts beyond door control such as intercoms, lighting control, video surveillance, water and shower control, and so forth,' adds Strauchs. 'Once we take control of the PLC we can do anything (PDF). Not just open and close doors. We can absolutely destroy the system. We could blow out all the electronics.'"

Comments

Re:Internet?

[DarkOx]

Well there is a little more than to running a modern prison then just sequestering and feeding the inmates. We have decided that we care about their health and safety as well.

In the event its necessary to evacuate the prison, say because there is a fire or something, central control of the locks would be very valuable. Much easier for the guards to grab the shotguns and rifles and say "Alright we are evacuating to the yard, the doors are going to unlock all of you then step out hands in the air were we can see them and form a line." than it would be for them to go through the cell block unlocking each cell or row of cells at time.

At the very least that would be a dangerous situation for the guards, already somewhat chaotic they don't want to have their backs turned to other prisoners while they focus on operating a lock mechanism rather than their surroundings. I should expect the folks we keep locked in high security detention facilities are likely to be the sort that would try to take advantage of an unusual situation which may arise, and being able to lock and unlock all doors at the same time is one of the many ways prions try and mitigate that risk.