CCC | They have not been trained for this
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) supports the three hackers who explained in detail at 37C3 how the Polish rail vehicle manufacturer Newag had manipulated its trains in such a way that they could only be repaired in the company's own workshops. The manufacturer reacted to the publications with an attitude not seen since the 90s and sued the hackers under both criminal and civil law. At 38C3, the hackers are now reporting on their legal odyssey, which cost so far around 30,000 euros. The CCC is calling for donations to cover the legal and other resulting costs incurred so far.
In one of the most popular presentations at 37C3, the three hackers uncovered something monstrous: Newag trains went into hibernation using a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek if they were parked for too long within the geocoordinates of competitors‘ or customers’ workshops or were left in conditions that indicated they underwent an unregistered repair. Only by calling in a Newag technician could such deactivated trains be ‘rescued’. All of this was uncovered without the potentially illegal replacement of train components which would require certifications.
Nevertheless, Newag's reaction was thin-skinned. We assume that the current lawsuits are aimed at preventing these - and future - publications about such ‘illegal instructions‘. But at Congress, it is not small-minded company lawyers or locomotive builders stuck in the past who decide who is allowed to speak on our stages. Only the content teams do. It is therefore a matter for us to support the three speakers that were presenting at the last congress and now - almost unfortunately - this one, too, so that they can continue researching fearlessly in the future!
