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Tesla issues patch for security flaws found by hackers

In a report they plan to unveil tomorrow at the DEF CON conference in Las Vegas, the two claim to be able to infiltrate the car’s complex electronic and digital systems by plugging into a CAN bus connector they found behind the car’s driver-side dashboard.

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Not one to take unnecessary risks, Tesla Motors has since issued a countermeasure in the form of an “over-the-air” update to all owners of the Model S to help quell the “vulnerabilities”. “We continue to develop further ways to harden our systems, informed by ongoing discussions with the security research community, as well as our own internal analysis”.

Virginia regulators have taken issue with Tesla Motors Inc.’s new Model S referral program, prompting the maker of luxury electric cars to change the program in that state.

Connected cars are moving computers. “It’s an unbelievable seat, a sculptural work of art, but a very tricky thing to get right”.

First it was a Jeep, and now a Tesla is the latest vehicle to be hacked and remotely shut down. Unlike the Tesla hack, it did not require any physical access to the vehicle.

The hack on Tesla follows a similar attack on Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee last month that prompted the company to recall 1.4 million vehicles in the United States.

Hacks of connected cars have also started to catch the attention of the general public. Our well-developed safeguards protect every layer of our vehicle and network security system, including for the mobile app, Tesla’s servers, and the auto itself.

According to the blog explanation of the hack by Mahaffey, the Tesla Model S can be brought to a complete halt at speeds of less than five miles per hour by remotely sending out commands to apply the emergency hand brake.

Tesla’s efforts at security haven’t been overlooked.

After gaining direct control of the entire system through process of elimination, Mahaffey and his partner in crime (for good) were able to perform any action possible from the car’s touchscreen or Tesla’s accompanying smartphone app. On one occasion, the security guru successfully turned the vehicle off while it was driving.

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“The growing success of Model S has positioned us to offer even more customer choices and accelerate the advent of sustainable transportation”, CEO Elon Musk and CFO Deepak Ahuja wrote in a letter to shareholders.

Tesla Model S