Skip to main content

Hackers Find Ways to Remotely Control Cars, Terror to Ensue

Engadget is reporting that a team of researchers have discovered a way to hack the onboard computer of certain cars. Once the hackers are in, they can access the car’s computer wirelessly, even while driving in another car next to the hacked vehicle. They can then affect the car by turning on hazard lights, flashing the brights, and even rolling down the windows. Or they could disable the brakes and lock the engine while you are driving at speed, sending you to a horrible death.

In our increasingly digital world, fear of the hacker has become all encompassing, one that acts as justification for the overreactions of many. Yes, malicious hackers are a problem- a nuisance to some, a criminal threat to others- but hackers are not magic. They can’t destroy cities (looking at you Live Free or Die Hard)- if they could, someone would have done it, then posted online how they just pwned a city. For the most part, hackers are just people that are curious to see how much they can get away with. It is a challenge to break the code of something- and the vast majority of hacks are harmless, and don’t really have any negative effects. Many are even useful and designed to test security, in the same way someone might push a door to make sure it is sound. And then there are some hacks that can scare the crap out of you.

The university researchers were testing to see how tight security of computers inside of cars are, and the answer is that there is hardly any security at all. The researchers needed to have a physical connection to initially access the car’s Engine Control Unit (ECU). Once they do have that access, they can control the entire operations of the car wirelessly, and tell the car to ignore the driver’s input.

For the test, researchers were able to connect wirelessly to a car’s ECU, and disable the brakes while it was driving. The test also proved that they could seize the engine, and even brake certain wheels, which would send the car sliding before potentially flipping over.

The test concluded that the security of ECUs is essentially nonexistent. If someone can gain access, you are in trouble. The good news is that the person hacking the ECU would need physical access to the car’s computer, so in that sense the security needed is the same as preventing car theft.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
The best tablets in 2024: top 11 tablets you can buy now
Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

As much as we love having the best smartphones in our pockets, there are times when those small screens don't cut it and we just need a larger display. That's when you turn to a tablet, which is great for being productive on the go and can be a awesome way to unwind and relax too. While the tablet market really took off after the iPad, it has grown to be quite diverse with a huge variety of products — from great budget options to powerhouses for professionals.

We've tried out a lot of tablets here at Digital Trends, from the workhorses for pros to tablets that are made for kids and even seniors -- there's a tablet for every person and every budget. For most people, though, we think Apple's iPad Air is the best overall tablet — especially if you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem. But if you're not an Apple user, that's fine too; there are plenty of other great options that you'll find in this roundup.

Read more
How to delete a file from Google Drive on desktop and mobile
Google Drive in Chrome on a MacBook.

Google Drive is an excellent cloud storage solution that can be accessed from numerous devices. Whether you do most of your Google Drive uploading or downloading from a PC, Chromebook, or mobile device, there’s going to come a time when you’ll need to delete a file (or two). Fortunately, the deletion process couldn’t be more straightforward. We’ve also put together this helpful guide to show you how to trash your Drive content a couple of different ways.

Read more
Windows 11 might nag you about AI requirements soon
Copilot on a laptop on a desk.

After recent reports of new hardware requirements for the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update, it is evident that Microsoft is gearing up to introduce a bunch of new AI features. A new report now suggests that the company is working on adding new code to the operating system to alert users if they fail to match the minimum requirements to run AI-based applications.

According to Albacore on X (formerly known as Twitter), systems that do not meet the requirements will display a warning message in the form of a watermark. After digging into the latest Windows 11 Insider Build 26200, he came across requirements coded in the operating system for an upcoming AI File Explorer feature. The minimum requirement includes an ARM64 processor, 16GB of memory, 225GB of total storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite NPU.

Read more