Grounded: The Collins Aerospace Ransomware Incident and Its Impact on European Aviation
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Aidan Dugan
started a topic
about 2 hours ago
In September of 2025, a ransomware attack targeting Collins Aerospace's MUSE platform triggered widespread disruption across major European airports. This incident underscores the fragility of hyperconnected aviation systems and the urgent need for robust cyber resilience strategies across critical infrastructure.
On the evening of September 19th, 2025, a ransomware payload infiltrated the MUSE check-in and boarding system operated by Collins Aerospace, a key software vendor for European airports. The attack paralyzed automated passenger processing systems at London Heathrow, Brussels Airport, Berlin Brandenburg, and others, forcing a reversion to manual operations and resulting in hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.
The malware identified was a variant of HardBit ransomware, known for its simplicity and effectiveness. Initial forensic analysis revealed several different elements that contributed to the attack. The entry point was a spear-phishing email containing a malicious macro. The payload delivery method were PowerShell scripts to download the ransomware from a remote C2 server. The encryption method was AES-256 used to lock virtual disks and file shares. The threat actors implemented different persistence mechanisms such as Modified Group Policy Objects (GPOs), scheduled tasks, and lateral movement via SMB and RDP. The ransomware encrypted primarily domain controllers, cascading failures across airport kiosks, bag-drop systems, and boarding gates. Over 1,000 devices were reportedly affected, with reinfections occurring even after initial remediation efforts.
The operational impact for the incident varied greatly between different airports. Brussels Airport cancelled 60 flights and reduced their capacity by 50%. The Berlin Brandenburg experienced delays that averaged 1 hour per flight, and Heathrow airport had manual check-ins which led ot long queues and extended processing times. Each of these airports had manual fallback systems such as handwritten boarding passes and paper manifests. Still, the delays caused exposed a lack of preparedness among airports to handle digital outages at scale.
For organizations, this attack highlights several critical lessons. Firstly, it's important to consider third-party risk. Collins Aerospace, though not an airport operator, became the single point of failure for multiple hubs. Secondly is the importance of visibility. The aviation sector must demand transparent vulnerability disclosures and audited patch management from vendors. Thirdly would be the importance of manual backup readiness. Digital convenience must be balanced with analog resilience. Finally, there is the importance of identifying attribution challenges. While HardBit, was identified, its affiliate model complicates attribution. Some experts suspect state-sponsored actors may be involved.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) confirmed the ransomware nature of the attack and launched investigations. Meanwhile, RTX, Collins Aerospace's parent company, released MUSE version 7.4.2 to address the vulnerabilities.
Experts like Nick Reese, former DHS official, warn that aviation cybersecurity must evolve to address non-linear threats posed by AI and quantum technologies
The Collins Aerospace ransomware incident is a watershed moment for aviation cybersecurity. It demonstrates how a single compromised vendor can ripple across nations, grounding flights and stranding passengers. As the aviation industry accelerates its digital transformation, cyber resilience must be built into every layer-from vendor contract to emergency protocols.
Aidan Dugan
In September of 2025, a ransomware attack targeting Collins Aerospace's MUSE platform triggered widespread disruption across major European airports. This incident underscores the fragility of hyperconnected aviation systems and the urgent need for robust cyber resilience strategies across critical infrastructure.
On the evening of September 19th, 2025, a ransomware payload infiltrated the MUSE check-in and boarding system operated by Collins Aerospace, a key software vendor for European airports. The attack paralyzed automated passenger processing systems at London Heathrow, Brussels Airport, Berlin Brandenburg, and others, forcing a reversion to manual operations and resulting in hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.
The malware identified was a variant of HardBit ransomware, known for its simplicity and effectiveness. Initial forensic analysis revealed several different elements that contributed to the attack. The entry point was a spear-phishing email containing a malicious macro. The payload delivery method were PowerShell scripts to download the ransomware from a remote C2 server. The encryption method was AES-256 used to lock virtual disks and file shares. The threat actors implemented different persistence mechanisms such as Modified Group Policy Objects (GPOs), scheduled tasks, and lateral movement via SMB and RDP. The ransomware encrypted primarily domain controllers, cascading failures across airport kiosks, bag-drop systems, and boarding gates. Over 1,000 devices were reportedly affected, with reinfections occurring even after initial remediation efforts.
The operational impact for the incident varied greatly between different airports. Brussels Airport cancelled 60 flights and reduced their capacity by 50%. The Berlin Brandenburg experienced delays that averaged 1 hour per flight, and Heathrow airport had manual check-ins which led ot long queues and extended processing times. Each of these airports had manual fallback systems such as handwritten boarding passes and paper manifests. Still, the delays caused exposed a lack of preparedness among airports to handle digital outages at scale.
For organizations, this attack highlights several critical lessons. Firstly, it's important to consider third-party risk. Collins Aerospace, though not an airport operator, became the single point of failure for multiple hubs. Secondly is the importance of visibility. The aviation sector must demand transparent vulnerability disclosures and audited patch management from vendors. Thirdly would be the importance of manual backup readiness. Digital convenience must be balanced with analog resilience. Finally, there is the importance of identifying attribution challenges. While HardBit, was identified, its affiliate model complicates attribution. Some experts suspect state-sponsored actors may be involved.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) confirmed the ransomware nature of the attack and launched investigations. Meanwhile, RTX, Collins Aerospace's parent company, released MUSE version 7.4.2 to address the vulnerabilities.
Experts like Nick Reese, former DHS official, warn that aviation cybersecurity must evolve to address non-linear threats posed by AI and quantum technologies
The Collins Aerospace ransomware incident is a watershed moment for aviation cybersecurity. It demonstrates how a single compromised vendor can ripple across nations, grounding flights and stranding passengers. As the aviation industry accelerates its digital transformation, cyber resilience must be built into every layer-from vendor contract to emergency protocols.