Hackers, they’re always up to mischief.
Well, either mischief or hi-jinks, and this time round I’d probably say they’re more on the hi-jinks side of things. Hackers/researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have released footage showing how easy it is to control a Corvette with a phone.
Using text messages and the control boxes that are commonly placed in cars by insurers to monitor speed, distance, and braking, they easily hit the brakes on the car.
The team even managed to completely disable the brakes, as well as turning off the windshield wipers. Thank God it wasn’t raining.
The researchers explained:
We show that these devices can be discovered, targeted, and compromised by a remote attacker and we demonstrate that such a compromise allows arbitrary remote control of the vehicle.
This problem is particularly challenging because, since this is aftermarket equipment, it cannot be well addressed by automobile manufacturers themselves.
It’s not just cars that are modified after the assembly line that can be affected. Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4million vehicles in the U.S. last month to fit them with protective software, after it was revealed researchers had managed to turn off a Jeep Cherokee’s engine as it was driving.
It’s times like these where I’m glad I don’t drive.
