By Indian Cyber Vigil (ICV) – Cybersecurity Research Collective
A recent eye-opening demonstration at the globally renowned DEF CON hacker convention has highlighted a major cybersecurity lapse affecting public transport systems in Taiwan—and potentially across other parts of Asia, including India. Researchers from Trend Micro Taiwan and CHT Security have shown that smart buses offering free Wi-Fi to passengers could be remotely hacked, exposing critical safety and surveillance systems.
As cybersecurity researchers based in India, this discovery hits close to home. With smart mobility initiatives gaining momentum across Indian cities—from Hyderabad to Kochi—many of the same technologies are being deployed on our roads. This isn’t just Taiwan’s problem. It’s Asia’s problem, and by extension, India’s problem too.
Free Wi-Fi — A Hidden Backdoor
What first caught the researchers’ attention was something most passengers might consider a convenience: free Wi-Fi. Behind the scenes, that same network was also connected to the buses’ internal systems, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS).
In essence, a single, unsegmented machine-to-machine (M2M) router was being used for both passenger Wi-Fi and vehicle safety and tracking systems — a massive red flag in cybersecurity.
What Exactly Can Be Hacked?
Once inside the system via the router — which reportedly had weak or default authentication — the researchers were able to:
- Access GPS tracking data
- Tap into on-board surveillance cameras (with default passwords!)
- View and potentially manipulate ADAS data such as engine speed, average speed, and driver behavior
- Modify route information and schedule displays
- Trigger false emergency alerts or set buses to show as “Out of Service”
This level of access opens up dangerous real-world scenarios, including:
- Misleading emergency services during accidents by spoofing GPS locations
- Covering up real mechanical faults or creating fake ones
- Deliberately delaying buses or rerouting them to disrupt public transit schedules
- Spying on passengers and drivers without their knowledge
All of this was possible due to insecure communication protocols, lack of encryption, and no proper authentication mechanisms in place. As the researchers put it, “If an attacker can perform MITM (Man-In-The-Middle) attacks, they can easily forge or modify messages in real time.”
Why India and Asia Should Be Alarmed
The hardware involved — including routers from US-based BEC Technologies and intelligent bus systems from Maxwin — supports multiple Asian languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and English, indicating the same technologies may be in use across India, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
With India’s Smart City Mission rapidly integrating similar transportation tech — from on-bus infotainment and GPS to cloud-managed scheduling and surveillance — the lack of cybersecurity awareness could lead to severe consequences.
Vulnerabilities Remain Unpatched
The researchers attempted responsible disclosure to both BEC Technologies and Maxwin, but have received no response to date. That means these vulnerabilities are still live and exploitable — a wake-up call for every nation using such systems.
Indian Cybersecurity Must Act Proactively
As a collective of Indian cybersecurity professionals, we urge:
- Public and private transit operators in India to audit their systems immediately
- Vendors and system integrators to ensure proper network segmentation, authentication, and encryption are in place
- CERT-In and state-level cyber cells to investigate if these vulnerable products are used in our transport infrastructure
- A more aggressive push towards cyber-resilience by design in all smart city projects
Conclusion: Smart Doesn’t Mean Secure
The lesson from Taiwan is clear: when convenience meets connectivity without cybersecurity, you get vulnerability. As we embrace digital transformation in India’s transportation sector, it’s crucial that cybersecurity is not an afterthought — especially when public safety and national infrastructure are at stake.
It’s time for Asia to stand united in demanding stronger security from tech vendors and to develop regional frameworks for smart transit cybersecurity.
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