Fiat recalls 1.4 million cars vulnerable to being hacked - Washington Post
Fiat Chrysler said it was voluntarily recalling 1. 4 million U. S. cars to fix a software defect that could allow the vehicles to be hacked remotely. This week, security researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller remotely disabled a Jeep Cherokee's brakes and steering — while the car was on the highway. They took control of the car through Uconnect, the car's information and entertainment dashboard. The recall affects Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler sedans, Ram pickup trucks and others. “The software manipulation addressed by this recall required unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code,” Fiat Chrysler said in a statement. Many of these products — which are commonly called the "Internet of Things" — carry the same software flaws that have been continually exploited by hackers operating on the World Wide Web. Vehicles today talk to the outside world through remote key systems, satellite radios, Bluetooth connections, dashboard Internet links and even wireless tire-pressure monitors. Infotainment systems are particularly good attack surfaces because modern versions often use a driver's smartphone to connect directly to the Internet — or such systems connect to the Internet directly through cellular signals. Source: www.washingtonpost.com
