The Dark Side of Modern Cars: A Look at Potential Hacking Risks

As we navigate the complexities of modern technology, it's essential to acknowledge the potential risks that come with advancements in electronics. In this article, we'll delve into the world of car hacking and explore what's possible and what can be done to prevent such incidents.

**Understanding Car Electronics**

Today's cars are equipped with sophisticated electronic systems that offer a range of features and conveniences. However, these same systems also present vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. One of the primary concerns is the potential for remote access to a vehicle's onboard computer system. This is made possible through interfaces such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which can be accessed using a smartphone or other device.

**Demonstrating Car Hacking**

Frank Berman, a senior engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), demonstrated the potential risks associated with car hacking. He showed how a hacker could take control of a vehicle's systems by accessing its infotainment system wirelessly. This can include functions such as adjusting the speedometer, applying the brakes, or even shutting down the engine.

**Physical Access: A Closer Look**

However, the demonstration took an unexpected turn when Nito introduced physical access to the car. He explained that hijacking a vehicle's systems requires not only wireless access but also physical proximity to the vehicle. This means that if someone were able to gain physical access to the car, they could potentially take control of its systems.

**Results: A Haunted Car**

The demonstration resulted in an unsettling experience for the driver. With Nito's physical access, he was able to manipulate the vehicle's speed, apply the brakes, and even shut down the engine. The effects were dramatic, with the car's safety features kicking in to prevent a potential accident.

**Real-World Implications**

While the demonstration was conducted in a controlled environment, it raises important questions about the potential for widespread hacking in the real world. With modern cars becoming increasingly complex, there is a growing concern that they could be vulnerable to cyber attacks.

**The Automaker's Response**

Automakers are already taking steps to address these concerns. They are investing heavily in cybersecurity measures, such as secure coding practices and regular software updates. This includes implementing robust security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems.

**Government Involvement**

Governments are also getting involved, recognizing the potential risks associated with car hacking. Researchers at NIST are working closely with automakers to develop standards for automotive cybersecurity. These efforts aim to ensure that vehicles are designed and built with security in mind, reducing the risk of hacking and other malicious activities.

**The Future: A Dynamic Threat**

While it's impossible to predict with certainty when or if car hacking will become a widespread issue, the potential is certainly there. As wireless technology continues to evolve, so too does the risk of remote access to vehicles. Automakers must stay one step ahead of rogue hackers who seek to exploit these vulnerabilities.

**The Role of Wireless Technology**

Wireless technology has made it easier for hackers to gain access to vehicles. The use of mobile devices and cloud-based services can provide an entry point for malicious actors. However, researchers at NIST are working on developing secure technologies that will prevent such hacks.

**Remote Access: A Growing Concern**

Another concern is the potential for remote access to a vehicle's systems. This could be achieved through cell phone hacking or other means. Researchers have demonstrated how this can be done by mimicking a car's infotainment signal using a smartphone.

**Stopping the Hack**

To prevent these types of hacks, researchers are working on developing techniques to stop them. For example, they've shown how calling a specific number can trigger a sequence of events that essentially shut down the vehicle.

**Conclusion**

Car hacking is a real and present danger, highlighting the need for automakers, governments, and individuals to take proactive steps to prevent such incidents. By understanding the risks and staying informed, we can work together to create safer vehicles for everyone on the road.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwe can stop there yes we can except we can it's the stuff of spy movies you're driving along and all of a sudden all the functions of your car your horn your lights maybe even your brakes or your accelerator pedal are out of your control your car has been hacked here at the transportation Research Center in East Liberty Ohio the national highway traffic safety administration is working hard to make sure something like this never happens to you hack cars is much harder than you might think at least for now the goal of the engineers here is to work with car makers to protect cars from this sort of intrusion we at Consumer Reports believe this research is crucial for your safety and that's why we're here Frank Berman is n's Electronics team lead for the applied crash avoidance group Frank showed us what's possible and what's not in hacking cars today we have modern day Electronics we have interfaces possibly that somebody could come in wirelessly that someone can come in physically and that someone could possibly do something nefarious to the vehicle what we're doing here is trying to understand what those possibilities are and understand if we can do things to prevent that make them safer or to secure those types of interfaces for this demonstration Nito wanted to show us the functions someone might be able to take over from outside the car right now hijacking those functions requires having a computer plugged into the car as well as someone with an intimate knowledge of a car's Software System the results were eye opening this is what can happen if you have uh physical access to the car I'm my hands aren't leaving the wheel wow seat belt pre-tensioner going the Fan's going full blast the horns going the windows are going up and down all at once it's quite the haunted car you better check your gas because what you thought you had a half tank of gas is you're actually empty you know we should watch your speed because uh you know this Road's generally around 30 mph not 199 I am able to manipulate the vehicle speed on the display but obviously it's not affecting what your true vehicle speed is so you can feel like you're going straight maybe getting a tug to the left want to correct that so and there's other fun we can have with you too like applying the brakes which I didn't do it's startling if you don't know what's going to happen yeah the first time you usually get it it's kind of uh scares the crap out of you so will there become a Time when this does become a reality where it doesn't have to be in a laboratory setting in the real world is it a matter of it's not if it's when a car will be hacked and something will happen to it dynamically operationally where the driver will lose control of the car I believe it is a matter of not if when um systems today are becoming more complex they're becoming more electronic there are more and more advanced Safety Systems which can have controllability of the steering of the brakes of the throttle as we have more Vehicles out there is the potential there yes however the automakers uh the government there's a lot of research going on to help Harden these systems doing our due diligence and trying to prevent those things from happening in the future with wireless technology evolving there is the potential for someone to imitate a car's infotainment and communication signal with just a cell phone allowing for an external hack again remote access is not currently possible without having Hardware that is hardwired into the car but nit is trying to stay a step ahead of Rogue hackers who might try to make that software coding leap we're able to call the car and we'll see the phone convers or the phone call coming in we see a countdown happening here for some reason we can pull up to the van here go a little faster I cannot because the check engine lights on battery lights on oil lights on gas is floored nothing's happening I'm coasting down to a stop so effectively what I've demonstrated here is by me calling this car the car is essentially shut off so this car has been programmed where when it sees my number Call uh it activates a a certain part of the code which essentially kills the car okay I'm just going to let that hang there because actually that's pretty freaky because I thought I thought usually that the ECU and you know the vehicle dynamics of the car were usually kept pretty separate but you're showing you're showing that this bridge is very possible we can stop there yes we can except we can't wow the ABS is just going furious at me so you can pump all day long you have no Authority there we go at the end you were on it so yes so we've seen a lot of possibilities for scary things that could happen to your car that are completely out of your control but how realistic is this and how realistic could it be in the future well it's obviously possible to do these things we've demonstrated them to you however the fact that we were using physical access is going to really preclude us from uh why widespread use of these these were not done from a mobile base station that then hit a thousand cars all at once so it's highly unlikely that this is going to affect widespread numbers of cars so there you have it a pretty scary situation behind the wheel but the folks at Nitsa are working on it and conducting more research to make sure it doesn't happen in the future and we'll be following this subject closely for more information on this subject check out consumerreports.orgwe can stop there yes we can except we can it's the stuff of spy movies you're driving along and all of a sudden all the functions of your car your horn your lights maybe even your brakes or your accelerator pedal are out of your control your car has been hacked here at the transportation Research Center in East Liberty Ohio the national highway traffic safety administration is working hard to make sure something like this never happens to you hack cars is much harder than you might think at least for now the goal of the engineers here is to work with car makers to protect cars from this sort of intrusion we at Consumer Reports believe this research is crucial for your safety and that's why we're here Frank Berman is n's Electronics team lead for the applied crash avoidance group Frank showed us what's possible and what's not in hacking cars today we have modern day Electronics we have interfaces possibly that somebody could come in wirelessly that someone can come in physically and that someone could possibly do something nefarious to the vehicle what we're doing here is trying to understand what those possibilities are and understand if we can do things to prevent that make them safer or to secure those types of interfaces for this demonstration Nito wanted to show us the functions someone might be able to take over from outside the car right now hijacking those functions requires having a computer plugged into the car as well as someone with an intimate knowledge of a car's Software System the results were eye opening this is what can happen if you have uh physical access to the car I'm my hands aren't leaving the wheel wow seat belt pre-tensioner going the Fan's going full blast the horns going the windows are going up and down all at once it's quite the haunted car you better check your gas because what you thought you had a half tank of gas is you're actually empty you know we should watch your speed because uh you know this Road's generally around 30 mph not 199 I am able to manipulate the vehicle speed on the display but obviously it's not affecting what your true vehicle speed is so you can feel like you're going straight maybe getting a tug to the left want to correct that so and there's other fun we can have with you too like applying the brakes which I didn't do it's startling if you don't know what's going to happen yeah the first time you usually get it it's kind of uh scares the crap out of you so will there become a Time when this does become a reality where it doesn't have to be in a laboratory setting in the real world is it a matter of it's not if it's when a car will be hacked and something will happen to it dynamically operationally where the driver will lose control of the car I believe it is a matter of not if when um systems today are becoming more complex they're becoming more electronic there are more and more advanced Safety Systems which can have controllability of the steering of the brakes of the throttle as we have more Vehicles out there is the potential there yes however the automakers uh the government there's a lot of research going on to help Harden these systems doing our due diligence and trying to prevent those things from happening in the future with wireless technology evolving there is the potential for someone to imitate a car's infotainment and communication signal with just a cell phone allowing for an external hack again remote access is not currently possible without having Hardware that is hardwired into the car but nit is trying to stay a step ahead of Rogue hackers who might try to make that software coding leap we're able to call the car and we'll see the phone convers or the phone call coming in we see a countdown happening here for some reason we can pull up to the van here go a little faster I cannot because the check engine lights on battery lights on oil lights on gas is floored nothing's happening I'm coasting down to a stop so effectively what I've demonstrated here is by me calling this car the car is essentially shut off so this car has been programmed where when it sees my number Call uh it activates a a certain part of the code which essentially kills the car okay I'm just going to let that hang there because actually that's pretty freaky because I thought I thought usually that the ECU and you know the vehicle dynamics of the car were usually kept pretty separate but you're showing you're showing that this bridge is very possible we can stop there yes we can except we can't wow the ABS is just going furious at me so you can pump all day long you have no Authority there we go at the end you were on it so yes so we've seen a lot of possibilities for scary things that could happen to your car that are completely out of your control but how realistic is this and how realistic could it be in the future well it's obviously possible to do these things we've demonstrated them to you however the fact that we were using physical access is going to really preclude us from uh why widespread use of these these were not done from a mobile base station that then hit a thousand cars all at once so it's highly unlikely that this is going to affect widespread numbers of cars so there you have it a pretty scary situation behind the wheel but the folks at Nitsa are working on it and conducting more research to make sure it doesn't happen in the future and we'll be following this subject closely for more information on this subject check out consumerreports.org\n"