How much does it cost to hack a Boeing 737?

Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Oberlin College demonstrated a highly physical, ground-access cyber attack concept against a Boeing 737. The scenario they tested involves inserting a coin-sized device into a maintenance port under the aircraft’s nose, connecting it to the plane’s Wi‑Fi to potentially take control of the flight plan within about 60 seconds. They reported building the device for less than $100 and said it could interfere with communications between two main onboard computers, potentially enabling a malicious redirection of the flight or making takeoff unsafe. Boeing acknowledged the research and told Wired its technical experts believe existing protection layers—both in system design and operating environment—mitigate real-world feasibility and risk.