In all, the researchers found six vulnerabilities in the Model S’s software, and worked hand-in-hand with Tesla to develop fixes.
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Tesla Motors announced that the company engineers developed an update to fill in the security loopholes. However, the hack requires physical access to the inside of a Model S, making it hard for any malicious hackers to pull off.
In a statement, Tesla said the hackers did not turn off the vehicle remotely, but from inside the vehicle. The cybersecurity experts will present their finding along with details of the hack on Friday at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas.
The automaker said that the security team works narrowly with the security research community to make sure that they keep on protecting their systems against vulnerabilities through stress-testing, updating and validating their safeguards constantly.
Though it has a reputation for being among the most technically advanced cars on the market today, even the Tesla Model S is susceptible to remote attacks by hackers the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
There are three principles automakers must implement immediately if they are going to keep their vehicles and customers safe from the rising threat of cyberattack. “Modern cars have more in common with a laptop than they do with a Model T”, he continued.
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. FCA and the National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined this was a severe safety threat and issued a recall for 1.4 million vehicles as a precaution.
In the last few weeks, a worrying trend has emerged in which hackers have found ways to hijack control of vehicles’ onboard computers.
Tesla is just one example of how auto manufacturers need to look beyond chassis design and entertainment features to stay competitive in the marketplace.
Mahaffey praised the software update, but he added that Tesla needed to improve individual system security since he and Rogers were able to take control of the entertainment system by hacking into each system individually.
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“Our research confirmed that Tesla indeed made a number of excellent security decisions in the design of Tesla Model S“, Mahaffey wrote.
