Threats of Trojan Incursion in Transportation Hardware

The rapid integration of technology and transportation has been advancing the mobility systems. However, these advancements also bring new security vulnerabilities in transportation hardware and software systems. While software security measures have been studied extensively, hardware security threats have not yet received enough attention in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In the hardware security realm, the threats of Trojan incursion in transportation-related hardware, which could be a significant threat to the safety of transportation systems, have never been explored. This paper explores the risks of Trojan injections into transportation hardware. This study presents a case study of a hardware Trojan attack against electronic toll collectors (ETC), where the toll collection compute node charges a higher toll than what it should be for a specific vehicle because of the trojan activation. This study highlights the importance of hardware security precautions for road traffic infrastructure systems against Trojan attacks. The manufacturing process of integrated circuits (ICs), which are present in many ITS infrastructures, involves multiple parties that span various countries, creating opportunities for malicious modification. Trojans in transportation hardware infrastructure can lead to data breaches, unauthorized control of vehicles, and compromise critical services. The impact of these threats could severely jeopardize public safety and the integrity of transportation systems.