Maariv Exclusive: Arrow missile may be compromised by security
Maariv Exclusive: Arrow missile may be compromised by security blunder
Egyptian computer engineers helped fix bugs in the classified Israeli
project. Concern information may have fallen into hostile hands.
Ben Kaspit Maariv 13 February 2004
maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=2907
There is growing concern that the Arrow missile, perhaps the county's most
guarded military secret, may have been severely compromised by what security
sources are describing as "an unbelievable blunder".
The Arrow is the world's only operative ABM (Anti Ballistic Missile). It is
a joint US-Israeli project, with Israel developing the heart of the system,
the ultra-sensitive "Green Pine" radar system, which gives the missile the
capability to track and intercept incoming ballistic missiles. It is the
free world's only current viable defense against such threats.
Maariv has learned that the Egyptian office of IBM has been corresponding
with their colleagues at the Israeli IBM office, regarding the detection and
correction of bugs in the MOTIF computer program. The Arrow is programmed on
this system.
Maariv has documents that attest to the tight relationship between the
Israeli IBM staff and the Egyptian branch of the company. In addition,
during our inquiry it turned out the next generation of the software was
written in Cairo. From there the software was supposed to go to Israel and
replace the current Arrow missile system.
The affair came to light following the intervention of Maariv that gave the
information to the defense authorities. In recent weeks teams of experts
from the defense establishment are examining all of the computerized
systems, including the Arrow system, to clean, detect and neutralize bugs or
"Trojan horses" that might have been implanted by hostile elements. In
addition, the contact between IBM's Tel Aviv and Cairo offices has been cut
off.
A bug implanted in the Arrow system could have very serious implications. A
computer expert can install into an operating system a Trojan horse
programmed to be activated during a real activation of the system and cause
it to collapse. It is simple, effective and fatal. According to that
scenario, if ballistic missiles were on their way to Israel, the Arrow would
collapse at the moment of truth.
The defense establishment and the Air Force refuse to comment on the affair.
But a senior Air Force official confirmed the details of the story and said
it is all under control and being checked by a special team.
IBM said in response: "In a comprehensive examination we conducted we found
there was no exposure of the specific software that was employed in the
project in question and in the other IBM software packages operating in the
defense establishment. We especially wish to emphasize that no IBM software
package provided to the defense establishment was exposed to the
infiltration of unwanted and unplanned elements. We want to emphasize that
our activities are fully coordinated with the defense establishment".
Yet, senior company officials confirm the main points of the story. They say
the defense establishment knew the Egyptian branch was detecting and
correcting bugs.
