Hack Glasgow 2026

Disassocia(via)tion: TCAS Spoofing in Aviation
2026-08-15 , Stage 2

As we live in an ever connected world, Aviation has been the forefront of connecting us all together, with ATLEAST more than 2 planes in the sky at any given time [Declyn S., 2026], It's important for airplanes to know where each other are to prevent accidents. One of the ways this is handled by onboarding systems is Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which alerts the pilots of any nearby traffic and to change altitude. These systems are critical for preventing mid-air collisions. However, it has been shown that these things can be spoofed, to make it seem as if there are "phantom" aircraft in the air, causing the pilot to react. This presentation will act as an awareness piece for TCAS Spoofing, in efforts of emulation for research, whilst also the implications of such feats, and it's importance in mitigation and research.

I am a cyber threat intelligence analyst in the aviation sector, currently based in Yorkshire. I have been in the aviation sector for four years (with hopes to being in it for years to come). I think planes are cool and I like talking about them... also the best plane is the Concorde (R.I.P Supersonic Bird of Prey), which would of been 50 years old this year :(