Researchers Were Able to Hack a Tesla Model S
Adding some fire to the hot-button issue of automotive security, a cybersecurity company was able to hack a Tesla Model S, take control of the electric car and turn it off at a low speed.
This hack is one of six flaws and vulnerabilities the researchers identified with the Model S’s security, the Financial Times reports via Reuters. The cybersecurity firm, Cloudfare, says they hacked the car because they have a better understanding of software than automakers do.
“We shut the car down when it was driving initially at a low speed of five miles per hour,” the newspaper quoted the firm’s security researcher Marc Rogers as saying. “All the screens go black, the music turns off and the handbrake comes on, lurching it to a stop.”
SEE ALSO: Tesla Delivers Record Number of Cars, Yet Losses Deepen
The hack will be discussed in detail at a cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas Friday, but Tesla has already sent out a software patch to address the security vulnerability.
This news follows the security issues exposed in the Jeep Cherokee last month, when hackers were able to turn the car off and gain access to its functions wirelessly.
[Source: Financial Times via Reuters]
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Jodi has been obsessed with cars since she was little and has been an automotive journalist for the past 12 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and a jury member for the prestigious North American Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY). Besides hosting videos, and writing news, reviews and features, Jodi is the Editor-in-Chief of AutoGuide.com and takes care of the site's day-to-day operations.
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Bad news (Facebook post of yours) ?????? No, Tesla did the right thing in letting them find the vulnerabilities.
Tesla is about done. It's getting painful.