Hacking of Wireless Entry Vehicles

825 Words2 Pages

Car manufacturers have for a long time dismissed and paid less attention to hacking of their vehicles, buses and trucks. They have been vigorously arguing that since their automobiles are fastened by very strong mechanics that are wireless, it makes it very hard for such a system to be hacked. This may be the end of their argument. There are two technological researchers who want to prove them wrong and show them that all a person needs is just a few minutes and a very tiny device. This cheap device has the function of providing a wireless access to the vehicle system and by this the vehicle can be sabotaged.
During the planned security conference which is arranged to happen in Asia, two Spanish technology researchers will unveil the device. The two are Alberto Garcia Illera and Javier Vazquez-Vidal who have arranged to unveil a small device with a total production cost of $20 and with a capacity to change a vehicles internal mechanism when connected to it. The parts that are affected by this gadget include the windows, the headlights, the brakes and the steering. The device which is as small as an iPhone needs to be fixed to the CAN (Controller Area Network), afterwards the device gets its power from the cars charging system and relays signals which jam the car. The device goes by the name CHT (CAN Hacking Tool).
According to Vidal, a person only requires less than five minutes to attach it and leave. After being attached, the device can be triggered to work immediately or can stay put for even a full year and still be as good.
Vidal said that the kind of signals that can be send from this device depend on the type and model of a vehicle. Accordingly, he said that they have tested their device on 4 models which he was unwilling t...

... middle of paper ...

...hacked using wireless technology. This demonstration will prove that the car manufacturers need to be very careful in their security since it is very cheap. The two researchers said that their purpose is not in any way to provide a cheap hacking device to the people so that they could use it to hack vehicles. They added that their true intention is to show that a car can be hacked using wireless connections. In that connection, they only intend to provide the physical ways of making the device but not to avail the process of sending the codes and signals from the device so as to jam the vehicle.
The two have encouraged the car maker to think outside the box and provide a security that goes past a simple wireless and physical connection. According to Garcia Illera, a car is like a small security unit and as per that moment little security system had been implemented.

Open Document