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Hacker Uses Fake Boarding Pass App To Get Into Fancy Airline Lounges (helpnetsecurity.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Help Net Security: Przemek Jaroszewski, the head of Poland's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), says anyone can bypass the security of the automated entrances of airlines' airport lounges by using a specially crafted mobile app that spoofs boarding pass QR codes. He created one for himself, and successfully tried it out on a number of European airports. Usually, to enter these lounges, travelers need to let the scanner at the entrance scan the QR code on their boarding pass, and the doors open automatically. Jaroszewski created an Android app that creates fake but acceptable QR codes. He says that aside from a valid flight number, the QR code doesn't have to include correct information (traveller's name, flight destination, etc.). According to WIRED, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) don't consider this particular issue a problem that needs fixing. They said "any such boarding pass security flaw would be the airlines' issue." Here is an unlisted video of the hack in action.
Nothing that's a big secret about this.
Download the IATA Resolution 792, you'll see in section 2.5 the data structure of the bar code for a boarding pass. Then generate the necessary barcode from the resulting ASCII string.
You'll probably need to check the Internet archive, because these resolutions were freely downloadable until a couple of years ago and then they were put behind a paywall... Free to $1500-$4500? Really?
You can use this to generate airline boarding passes too, but all the mobile passes I have seen have a digital signature appended to the end of it. The paper ones they hand out at the airport lack a digital signature.
Oh, and United Clubs actually look up your flight info, FYI.
I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
Yup. I'm lucky that my employer pays for biz class for intl flights over 9 hours, so I see a few of them. IMO, the red carpet club is the worst, usually packed with sweaty folks trying to shovel as many of the trail mix snacks and coffee they can into their gobs. The "bar" is useless and sternly managed by a crone in a vest. Don't forget the obligatory USD 1 tip or she'll get grumpy. Tokyo and SFO are the worst. If you're smart, you'll find another airline's Gold lounge where they let you pour your own and eat real food. ANA is okay and has the magic beer pouring machine, EVA is good and generous with the booze. The best are the first-class lounges though, which I've only been in rarely as a guest of a super-miler. EVA's in Taipei was really good. The best overall lounge so far was Virgin's biz lounge in Hong Kong. I ate everything they had on the menu and their martinis were great.