FBI warns of the threat of hacker attacks on cars

This week, the US Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration jointly with the FBI published a message warning drivers about the threat of hacker attacks on cars and trucks. The report does not say that the authorities have information about the precedents of hacking cars that would not be known to the public. It contains a list of tips on how to protect vehicles from hackers and recommendations on what to do if you think your car has been hacked, including a request to notify the FBI, reports wired .

Modern vehicles often have new technologies that seek to provide benefits such as additional safety features, fuel economy, and more. Additional devices available for purchase also provide consumers with new opportunities to monitor the condition of their vehicles. However, with the increase in such devices, it is important that consumers and manufacturers are aware of potential safety hazards.

According to the memo, it is recommended to keep the software up-to-date and be ready to update it manually, as well as be careful when connecting additional gadgets not provided by the manufacturer. Most of these tips stem directly from research demonstrations held last year: after hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valjasek hacked into a Jeep in July, Chrysler withdrew 1.4 million cars and mailed USB drives with software updates for affected drivers. And next month, researchers from the University of California at San Diego showed that the electronic key connected to the Corvette's dashboard could be cracked, which would allow the car wipers to be turned on or the brakes off .

During the operation of the detected bugs, they were able to get local access to the system through the device's USB port, remotely through the cellular data transmission system used to connect to the Internet, and even via the SMS interface. As a result, hackers, in fact, managed to seize control of the car, turn on the wipers and even lock the brakes, controlling the process using SMS messages. The video below demonstrates everything described in the “field conditions”, using the example of the Chevrolet Corvette sports car.
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