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As cars become more akin to smartphones on wheels, hacks into the centralized systems maintained by automakers are a real risk. A recent hack you probably haven’t heard of put unknown numbers of vehicle owners at risk, and they have absolutely no idea.
GM is pushing hard on autonomous vehicle tech.
Recently, a white hat hacker, or in other words a guy who hacks systems to let companies know about their flaws, was able to remotely unlock car doors and view customers’ private data. That’s concerning, but we find it equally disturbing that the hacker won’t reveal the identity of the automaker.
The only thing he told TechCrunch about the incident is that the automaker has “several popular sub-brands.” That certainly shortens the list, with GM, Volkswagen, and Stellantis all coming up prominently.
Rather than hacking into the cars directly, this guy who works as a security researcher did it through the online dealership portal. Once he got in, he was able to create an admin account, which gave him “unfettered access” to anything in the portal.
Not only could he see the personal info of car owners and remotely unlock doors, he could track vehicle locations and more. In the hands of a theft ring, those kinds of capabilities could be devastating.
Even in the hands of some kid who just wants to watch the world burn, that kind of security flaw wouldn’t be good.
This revelation comes as automakers keep trying to push more and more tech into vehicles. While some people want that, with the security risks, the lack of longevity of the technologies, and the general user difficulty of the systems has created quite the pushback.
There’s been a lot of talk of mass hacks of cars for a long time. While that hasn’t happened, yet, we wonder if the clock isn’t ticking on that one.
Image via Tima Miroschnichenko/Pexels
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