Hackers Uncover Trains Designed to Fail in Poland

In an unusual right-to-repair battle, members of the ethical hacking group Dragon Sector discovered deliberate software locks in Polish trains that caused them to "brick" when serviced at independent repair shops.

The manufacturer, Newag, has denied the allegations and threatened legal action, but hackers successfully restored the fleet to service by uncovering a hidden "unlock code" within the trains' control panels.

Two years after Dragon Sector exposed software that disabled Polish Impuls trains serviced outside manufacturer Newag's own workshops, the affair has outgrown the company's denials. Kraków's regional prosecutors seized documents at Newag's headquarters in February 2024 across twin proceedings, one into installation of the blockade software, though by mid 2024 no charges had been filed against anyone Polish rail trade press. Newag answered the disclosure with suits seeking over $3 million combined from the repair shop SPS and three hackers, while operators revealed paying about 23,000 euros per unlock, a fix taking ten minutes iFixit. Trains still locked up through the first half of 2025, and both lawsuits remain pending.