Hacked cars can be a serious hazard. Security professionals Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek famously breached a Jeep Cherokee in 2014; even minor disruptions like radio or air conditioning issues can disorient a driver enough to cause an accident.

Ways Your Car Could Be Hacked

Consumer Watchdog released a report in 2020 which listed the top selling vehicles most susceptible to hacking, from exposing private data leakage to disabling brakes.

Keyless Entry System

Most cars these days come equipped with key fobs that allow drivers to remotely unlock doors, pop trunk lids and start engines remotely – an incredibly convenient feature and selling point for many consumers, but these also pose a very real threat of hacking – leading to the growth of an industry dedicated to hacking cars. Drivers should be aware of this potential security threat so they can take precautionary measures and protect themselves effectively.

For car theft to succeed, thieves must intercept radio signals between the key fob and vehicle using battery-powered radio transmitters that can relay them up to 1,000 feet away. By doing this, thieves can force the car into thinking its key fob is nearby and unlock or start it – then drive off with it themselves!

Unfortunately, these transmitters can be easily purchased online at relatively low costs and used within seconds to hack a car with this method. That is why it is imperative that vehicles remain locked when not being driven and that keys be kept secure even in cases of valet drivers and trusted friends who use your keys for valeting services or trusted friends who may take up driving it for you.

There is good news: some cars are harder to hack than others. According to PT&C|LWG’s ranking of hackable vehicles, Tesla was found to be less hackable due to having fewer computer systems that communicate and running on Linux, which makes malware creation harder than Windows OS.

This list was determined based on various criteria, including the number of computer systems and networked components that communicate. PT&C|LWG also examined what kind of software runs on each vehicle – finding that some vehicles utilize outdated operating systems that make hacking more likely than others.

As technology evolves and becomes more advanced, this issue continues to increase in severity. More cars may soon be compromised.

USB Port

Hackers could exploit a USB port in your car as an entryway to gain access to personal information or control your car remotely. Once inside, they could take over its systems and alter brakes or steering; creating serious safety risks which could lead to crashes that cause injuries or death.

Problems arise with connected cars in that they use the same network infrastructure as home or office computers, meaning all devices within it trust each other – making them extremely susceptible to hacking attacks, making purchasing one with security features essential.

One of the primary methods of hacking a car involves its CAN bus, which connects all its parts. Thieves can use wireless technology to tamper with this network and use this information to clone wireless key codes that give them entry into starting the car.

Another way is through USB connections, which allow access to onboard diagnostics. Although designed for car repair purposes, thieves have found this feature can be misused to take control of an engine. Once in control of it, hackers can then drive off with it or start it any time they choose.

Staying current with security updates for your car is crucial, with many companies offering patches and fixes to address bugs in software. Furthermore, only install apps and tools approved by your car manufacturer when installing apps and tools, and remove dongles not in use when not driving the vehicle.

Hacking may or may not have contributed to car accidents; however, security researchers remain extremely worried. According to them, hackers will soon find ways to wirelessly hack smart cars easily and put driver lives at risk as a result.

Bluetooth

With cars increasingly serving as moving computers, they’ve been more vulnerable than ever to hacking attacks – particularly self-drive vehicles and those equipped with sophisticated infotainment or safety systems. But this doesn’t make older models immune.

Hacking a car typically entails exploiting vulnerabilities in its software programs, hardware components, and computer networks to gain unauthorised entry to your vehicle and obtain data theft. There are some steps that you can take to prevent hackers from hacking into your car.

Most of us keep Bluetooth devices in our cars – whether it be hands-free devices for music streaming or car stereo systems – yet rarely think about how vulnerable these can be to hacking attacks.

Some Bluetooth devices do not implement adequate security measures, which leaves them open to attacks from third parties and hackers. Such attacks could be used to gather sensitive information, place calls or monitor car occupants; they could also control features like the engine and brakes remotely.

Bluejacking is a simple hack that enables hackers to send unwanted text or contacts to Bluetooth devices nearby, which could compromise them and gain them entry to your phone or tablet. Unfortunately, bluejacking could pose serious dangers because it provides hackers with an avenue of entry for gaining unauthorized access to it.

Bluesnarfing is an advanced hack that exploits vulnerabilities in Bluetooth protocol to gain access to your stored contacts and text messages on any affected device. Furthermore, bluesnarfing may allow hackers to gain personal data such as passwords or credit card details from affected devices.

With their laptops, attackers can generate malicious link keys that decrypt traffic sent over Bluetooth connections. By hijacking signals between two Bluetooth devices and taking control of them themselves, attackers can then intercept data sent across these links, before returning it back to them for use in further malicious schemes.

To protect against this risk, we advise using either an encrypted Bluetooth headset or using the audio system built into your car. Furthermore, keep your keys safely stored away and install a steering wheel lock – and should possible, notify the manufacturer about your car so they may rectify it themselves.

Wi-Fi

Modern cars rely on computers more than ever before (some estimates put the figure as high as 100 electronic control units), creating numerous potential access points. Car hacking first made headlines in 2015 when security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek remotely compromised a Jeep Cherokee to demonstrate its cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Recently, high-profile hacks have occurred regularly. For example, during a demonstration at Black Hat 2021 conference, hackers used a USB dongle to connect with a car’s system and then take control over its controls using this technique – changing dashboard functions, turning on air conditioning systems, and even starting driving it themselves!

Unfortunately, hacks can often be much easier than people expect. Most cars feature Wi-Fi that can be easily accessed using smartphones or tablets connected via Bluetooth, placing many vulnerable individuals at risk for hacks in their own car.

Connectivity between vehicles and drivers aims to provide convenience and safety, but it opens the door for hackers who could gain access to personal data such as bank authentication pins or text messages; hackers could even gain entry to driver cabins to manipulate steering wheels, brake pedals and other features of their car.

Cars often feature USB ports that allow the transfer of data, yet these are vulnerable to hackers who could install malware onto a device connected to it and gain entry to its system for control or theft of information.

Hackers have found ways to gain entry to servers that manage car systems, giving them access to sales data, mobile apps and other information. From there they can distribute malicious software through these networks which then spreads like biological viruses.

There are ways to defend against car hacking. One approach is to only plug trusted USB devices into your car and not connect laptops or other devices that do not contain security software. Also be sure to visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Recall Page with your VIN to see if there are any recalls that apply directly to you vehicle.

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