SLIVer: Simulation-Based Logic Bomb Identification/Verification for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This research introduces SLIVer, a Simulation-based Logic Bomb Identification/Verification methodology, for finding logic bombs hidden within Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) autopilot code without having access to the device source code. Effectiveness is demonstrated by executing a series of test missions within a high-fidelity software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulator. In the event that a logic bomb is not detected, this methodology defines safe operating areas for UAVs to ensure to a high degree of confidence the UAV operates normally on the defined flight plan. SLIVer uses preplanned flight paths as the baseline input space, greatly reducing the input space that must be searched to have confidence that the UAV will not encounter a logic bomb trigger condition during its mission. This research discusses the process for creating a logic bomb in the ArduPilot autopilot software, creating test flight profiles, UAV log file parsing, and the analysis of the methodology. SLIVer can accommodate multiple flight profiles and parses through the corresponding log files to create a safety corridor through which the UAV is able to safely traverse through with a desired level of confidence. By utilizing SLIVer, UAV operators and planners alike are afforded increased confidence that the aircraft will operate normally throughout the duration of a mission. The proof of concept implementation shows that the input space required to validate a UAV mission is reduced by approximately 60%, a far better result than brute force input testing. As UAVs are continually called upon to fill critical civilian and military roles, it is essential that planners and users of these devices have a methodology in place to assure that logic bombs are absent from the device

Two Narratives of Torture

This article is about the normalization of interrogational torture and coercion from 2001 to 2008. The discussion focuses on two different narratives or accounts of torture. Each narrative signifies a certain view about the legality and wisdom of employing torture and coercion in interrogation. The first narrative centers on the key device of the normalization process: the ticking bomb scenario. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, legal academics have invoked the ticking bomb scenario in questioning the status of the absolute legal prohibition on torture. Versions of the ticking bomb scenario have also appeared in Bush administration documents and official statements that asserted the legality of torture and various coercive interrogation techniques. Additionally, the scenario has been reproduced in the media and popular culture, the most notable example being Fox\u27s counterterrorism drama, . The second narrative of torture challenges the logic of the ticking bomb scenario that underlies the first narrative. Academic commentators have highlighted the scenario\u27s numerous assumptions that render it a suspect guide to policy. Certain government actors, most notably the FBI and military lawyers, consistently rejected its logic and opposed the use of torture and coercion in interrogation. This second account also has a popular culture representative in Sci-Fi Channel\u27s . Thus, what we see is the replication of the same battles that have been fought over the treatment of detainees in the war on terror by real world actors at a discursive level in popular cultur

Two Narratives of Torture

This article is about the normalization of interrogational torture and coercion from 2001 to 2008. The discussion focuses on two different narratives or accounts of torture. Each narrative signifies a certain view about the legality and wisdom of employing torture and coercion in interrogation. The first narrative centers on the key device of the normalization process: the ticking bomb scenario. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, legal academics have invoked the ticking bomb scenario in questioning the status of the absolute legal prohibition on torture. Versions of the ticking bomb scenario have also appeared in Bush administration documents and official statements that asserted the legality of torture and various coercive interrogation techniques. Additionally, the scenario has been reproduced in the media and popular culture, the most notable example being Fox\u27s counterterrorism drama, . The second narrative of torture challenges the logic of the ticking bomb scenario that underlies the first narrative. Academic commentators have highlighted the scenario\u27s numerous assumptions that render it a suspect guide to policy. Certain government actors, most notably the FBI and military lawyers, consistently rejected its logic and opposed the use of torture and coercion in interrogation. This second account also has a popular culture representative in Sci-Fi Channel\u27s . Thus, what we see is the replication of the same battles that have been fought over the treatment of detainees in the war on terror by real world actors at a discursive level in popular cultur

On Ladder Logic Bombs in Industrial Control Systems

In industrial control systems, devices such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are commonly used to directly interact with sensors and actuators, and perform local automatic control. PLCs run software on two different layers: a) firmware (i.e. the OS) and b) control logic (processing sensor readings to determine control actions). In this work, we discuss ladder logic bombs, i.e. malware written in ladder logic (or one of the other IEC 61131-3-compatible languages). Such malware would be inserted by an attacker into existing control logic on a PLC, and either persistently change the behavior, or wait for specific trigger signals to activate malicious behaviour. For example, the LLB could replace legitimate sensor readings with manipulated values. We see the concept of LLBs as a generalization of attacks such as the Stuxnet attack. We introduce LLBs on an abstract level, and then demonstrate several designs based on real PLC devices in our lab. In particular, we also focus on stealthy LLBs, i.e. LLBs that are hard to detect by human operators manually validating the program running in PLCs. In addition to introducing vulnerabilities on the logic layer, we also discuss countermeasures and we propose two detection techniques.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, 1 algorith

The Trolley Problem and the Dropping of Atomic Bombs

In this paper, the ethical and spiritual aspects of the trolley problem are discussed in connection with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. First, I show that the dropping of atomic bombs was a typical example of the events that contained the logic of the trolley problems in their decision-making processes and justifications. Second, I discuss five aspects of “the problem of the trolley problem;” that is to say, “Rarity,” “Inevitability,” “Safety Zone,” “Possibility of Becoming a Victim,” and “Lack of Perspective of the Dead Victims Who Were Deprived of Freedom of Choice,” in detail. Third, I argue that those who talk about the trolley problem are automatically placed in the sphere of the expectation of response on the spiritual level. I hope that my contribution will shed light on the trolley problem from a very different angle, which has not been made by our fellow philosophers

A Logic Programming Approach to Knowledge-State Planning: Semantics and Complexity

We propose a new declarative planning language, called K, which is based on principles and methods of logic programming. In this language, transitions between states of knowledge can be described, rather than transitions between completely described states of the world, which makes the language well-suited for planning under incomplete knowledge. Furthermore, it enables the use of default principles in the planning process by supporting negation as failure. Nonetheless, K also supports the representation of transitions between states of the world (i.e., states of complete knowledge) as a special case, which shows that the language is very flexible. As we demonstrate on particular examples, the use of knowledge states may allow for a natural and compact problem representation. We then provide a thorough analysis of the computational complexity of K, and consider different planning problems, including standard planning and secure planning (also known as conformant planning) problems. We show that these problems have different complexities under various restrictions, ranging from NP to NEXPTIME in the propositional case. Our results form the theoretical basis for the DLV^K system, which implements the language K on top of the DLV logic programming system.Comment: 48 pages, appeared as a Technical Report at KBS of the Vienna University of Technology, see http://www.kr.tuwien.ac.at/research/reports