For the past few months, I’ve been playing a lot of Farming Simulator 22 – not the most exciting game but definitely enjoyable. However, it seems ‘Sick Codes’, a Security Researcher, had other ideas about farm related gaming – albeit with a more bloody tone.
Demonstrated at this year’s Def Con hacking conference, Sick Codes has managed to get the classic Doom game to run on the embedded Linux system in a new generation John Deere tractor. Of note is the farming re-skin of the game – instead of shooting enemies, this iteration of the game lets you run over sheep, with a tractor. Immersion!
Playing Doom on a John Deere tractor display (jailbroken/rooted) at @defcon pic.twitter.com/ih0QUTGNuS
— Sick.Codes (@sickcodes) August 14, 2022
Whilst John Deere has copped some flack in the past few years for locking out their systems, restricting servicing to authorised dealers only, amongst other anti-consumer tactics, it seems that there may be a way in, enabling coders and farmers the right to repair. For what it’s worth, The Verge reports that Sick Codes managed to get root level access to the embedded system.
