'A ticking time bomb': US trains are vulnerable to a simple 13-year-old known security vulnerability - here's what you need to know

Train passing by.

• Hackers only need cheap hardware and basic skills to stop a moving freight train remotely
• The American Association of Railways dismissed the threat until federal pressure forced a response
• The system still isn’t fixed, and full updates won’t arrive until at least 2027

A critical flaw in the wireless systems used across US rail networks has remained unresolved for more than a decade, exposing trains to remote interference.