August 6, 2015 11:37 am
Hackers take control of a Tesla Model S and turn it off at low speed
Hannah Kuchler in Las Vegas
Cyber security researchers have found six significant flaws in Tesla’s Model S cars that could allow hackers to take control of the vehicles and have safety implications for drivers.
Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer of Lookout, and Marc Rogers, principal security researcher at Cloudflare, said they decided to try to hack a Tesla because the company has a better reputation for understanding software than most automakers.
But the so-called “white hat” hackers, who probe internet-connected devices to try to push companies to improve security, still found vulnerabilities.
The hack on the Tesla car, to be detailed on at the cyber security conference Def Con in Las Vegas on Friday, is the latest in a series of vulnerabilities discovered in connected cars. One high-profile case led Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.4m Jeep Cherokees last month.
The hackers had to physically access the Tesla first, which made it more difficult than many other hacks. Once they were connected through an Ethernet cable, they were later able to access the systems from afar.
This allowed them to take control of the screens. They were able to manipulate the speedometer to show the wrong speed, lower and raise the windows, lock and unlock the car and turn the car on or off.
This was another key safety feature that earned Tesla praise from the security researchers. Many carmakers did not have the ability to automatically send software updates to cars without drivers having to take the car to a dealership or mechanic.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0d1932a-3b05-11e5-8613-07d16aad2152.html#axzz3i5wjjqeX
Hackers take control of a Tesla Model S and turn it off at low speed
Hannah Kuchler in Las Vegas
Cyber security researchers have found six significant flaws in Tesla’s Model S cars that could allow hackers to take control of the vehicles and have safety implications for drivers.
Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer of Lookout, and Marc Rogers, principal security researcher at Cloudflare, said they decided to try to hack a Tesla because the company has a better reputation for understanding software than most automakers.
But the so-called “white hat” hackers, who probe internet-connected devices to try to push companies to improve security, still found vulnerabilities.
The hack on the Tesla car, to be detailed on at the cyber security conference Def Con in Las Vegas on Friday, is the latest in a series of vulnerabilities discovered in connected cars. One high-profile case led Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.4m Jeep Cherokees last month.
The hackers had to physically access the Tesla first, which made it more difficult than many other hacks. Once they were connected through an Ethernet cable, they were later able to access the systems from afar.
This allowed them to take control of the screens. They were able to manipulate the speedometer to show the wrong speed, lower and raise the windows, lock and unlock the car and turn the car on or off.
Tesla is issuing a patch to fix the flaws that all drivers will have by Thursday. The company said drivers will be able to download the updates via WiFi or a cellular connection.
This was another key safety feature that earned Tesla praise from the security researchers. Many carmakers did not have the ability to automatically send software updates to cars without drivers having to take the car to a dealership or mechanic.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0d1932a-3b05-11e5-8613-07d16aad2152.html#axzz3i5wjjqeX
