Local researchers warn of possible infection on war subs

May 22, 2017 06:17 GMT  ·  By

Windows XP wasn’t the biggest victim of the WannaCry ransomware, but the lack of patches is always worrying, especially because there is no guarantee that Microsoft would do the same thing in the future and release an emergency update to block infections.

Britan’s nuclear submarines are among those that could be vulnerable to future attacks similar to WannaCry, as they are still on Windows XP, with no plans to upgrade to a newer operating system whatsoever.

Local security experts warn that Trident submarines could become hackers’ target if they find a way to reach them, and since they run Windows XP, developing exploits for unpatched vulnerabilities is easier than in the case of supported operating systems.

Submarines kept in isolation

British authorities explain that the Trident system is not exposed to hackers when submarines are out at sea because there is no Internet access, but security researchers argue that cybercriminals can attack them in port and then make the infection active when they leave.

“It is common knowledge in the cyber-security community that Trident uses the Windows XP system. It means they are vulnerable to exactly the same type of ransomware attack aimed at the NHS and other organisations. This is no joke because national security is being compromised by these outdated systems for which there are no security updates because Microsoft no longer supports its own operating system,” Sebastian Jesson-Ward of security company Serviceteam IT was quoted as saying.

“It is true to say the subs are cyber-resilient when they are out at sea because they are not connected to the internet. But in port they are vulnerable and that is when an attack could come.”

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon hasn’t commented on the operating system powering the country’s nuclear submarines, but explained that all of them are fully secure and are operated in isolation, which makes it impossible for hackers to reach them.

Britain is operating four different war submarines, namely HMS Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance, each equipped with Trident II D5 nuclear missiles.