Can traffic lights be hacked?

In recent days, social media has been spreading a clip of an Audi car causing traffic lights to change direction wherever it goes, leading to suspicions that the car has a device that can interfere with traffic lights.

A traffic light system in the Netherlands – Photo: DEMANA

The incident is currently being investigated by the authorities. However, in reality, experts in various countries have discovered technical vulnerabilities that allow traffic light systems to be hacked and interfered with remotely.

Fake signals 'trick' traffic lights

In October 10, the Dutch news channel RTL Nieuws reported that tens of thousands of traffic lights in the Netherlands could be hacked and controlled remotely.

In this country, when police, ambulances or fire trucks have to move urgently, the traffic light system has a feature that turns green to give priority. Some public transport can also use this system.

However, a hacker named Alwin Peppels discovered the vulnerability while researching the system that connects traffic lights with emergency services.

Alwin Peppels told RTL Nieuws that hackers could easily change tens of thousands of traffic lights installed at thousands of intersections in the Netherlands with just the push of a button. They could even do it successfully from a distance of several kilometers.

“Traffic lights are part of our critical infrastructure and are frequently targeted by malicious parties,” Peppels said.

To fix the problem, traffic lights will need to be physically replaced, Peppels said. Road agencies are working on a solution, but it is expected to take until at least 2030.

A traffic light for cyclists in the Netherlands – Photo: THE WIRED

Also in the Netherlands in 2020, The Wired Researchers Wesley Neelen and Rik van Duijn discovered a serious vulnerability in smart traffic light systems deployed in at least 10 cities.

These systems use mobile apps like Schwung and CrossCycle to improve traffic flow for cyclists by automatically turning the signal green when they approach an intersection.

However, the study shows that this system can be easily exploited. By reverse engineering the application, the researchers discovered how traffic lights respond with data packets containing information about the vehicle's location and movement (CAM).

They demonstrated that it was possible to create fake CAMs that simulated the appearance of non-existent cyclists. This action allowed them to remotely control traffic lights, even from several kilometers away.

Fake signals can cause traffic lights to change colors arbitrarily, disrupting traffic and delaying other vehicles. This poses a potential safety risk if exploited for malicious purposes.

Bypassing security layers

Some technology experts warn that some traffic lights in the US could be hacked – Photo: RICHARD NEWSTEAD

July 7, technology news site TechCrunch said cybersecurity expert Andrew Lemon of Red Threat Company discovered a serious vulnerability in the Intelight X-1 traffic light controller, commonly used to manage traffic signals at intersections.

Lemon discovered that the Intelight X-1 device's web interface does not require authentication. Simply accessing a specific URL address allows anyone to bypass security layers to change settings without logging in.

Thus, with unauthorized access, an attacker could adjust traffic light timing, lengthening the green light in one direction and shortening it in other directions.

Lemon stressed that although safety mechanisms prevent green lights from turning on in all directions at the same time, changing signal timing can still cause serious congestion and increase the risk of traffic accidents.

Q-Free traffic lights – Photo: TRAFFICTECHNOLOGYTODAY

After receiving the report, Intelight's parent company Q-Free sent a legal warning, stating that the Intelight X-1 device was obsolete and no longer in production.

In addition to Intelight, Lemon also discovered that control devices from the manufacturer Econolite also have similar vulnerabilities due to the use of the NTCIP protocol – an industry standard with many security weaknesses. These devices can be exploited to change the signal sequence or turn on flashing lights at intersections, leading to traffic chaos.

The incident highlights the importance of securing critical infrastructure systems. Manufacturers and authorities need to ensure that traffic control devices are equipped with strong authentication protocols and are not exposed to unsecured internet networks.

In addition, regular security checks and timely updates are essential to protect systems against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Regarding the clip of the Audi car going to green lights, talk with Youth Online On January 4, a representative of the Traffic Police - Order Team of Thu Duc Police said that they are coordinating with professional units and related agencies to see if the above clip is real or edited, as well as the possibility of there being a device interfering with traffic light signals or not and will inform later.

On the same day, Mr. Luu Van Tan, Director of Thu Duc Technical Infrastructure Development Center, said that immediately after learning about the incident spreading on social networks, the center sent staff to the traffic light locations under its management for a general inspection. After inspection, all checkpoints were operating normally, with no technical errors.