VULNERABILITY IN END-OF-TRAIN AND HEAD-OF-TRAIN REMOTE LINKING PROTOCOL

Summary from the TLDR InfoSec newsletter

CISA revealed a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-1727) in railroad End-of-Train and Head-of-Train protocols that allows attackers to send unauthorized brake commands via software-defined radio. Affecting all U.S. rail industry versions, the vulnerability stems from weak BCH checksum authentication that can disrupt operations or cause sudden stops. The American Railroads are developing new systems, while manufacturers like Hitachi Rail, Wabtec, and Siemens should adopt network isolation and secure remote access controls.