Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
18h ago

CISA Warns of Critical Brake-Hack Vulnerability in US Freight Train Communications

Obsolete end-of-train radios can still be spoofed to trigger emergency braking years before any secure protocol rollout

© Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • CISA published CVE-2025-1727 last week, assigning an 8.1 CVSS v3.1 score to the FRED end-of-train protocol for its lack of authentication that allows unauthorized brake commands.
  • No in-field patch exists, leaving many freight trains vulnerable to remote brake-lock exploits despite basic interim measures like network segmentation.
  • The FRED system relies on a simple BCH checksum, enabling off-the-shelf software-defined radios to spoof packets and force brake applications from a few hundred feet up to 150 miles.
  • Researcher Neil Smith first alerted ICS-CERT to the flaw in 2012, but the Association of American Railroads refused testing or acknowledgment until CISA’s advisory this month.
  • The AAR plans a phased replacement with the secure 802.16t protocol by 2027, meaning trains will remain exposed throughout the multi-year transition.