Taking control of cars from a distance-MIT Technology Review

hacked the hyphen: Scientists previously have shown that they can take control of the car dashboard, among other systems.
Credit: embedded systems for automotive safety Research Center shows that can wirelessly hack into cars. Monday, 14. March, 2011By Erica Naone

Scientists who spent the last two years he studied the safety car computer systems that can take control of vehicles wirelessly.

The scientists were able to control everything from car brakes to the locks on your computer by using the control panel displays the on-board computer through GM OnStar and Ford Sync, as well as through a Bluetooth connection, intended for the manufacture of hands-free calls. This week, submit their conclusions to the Committee of the national academies for the electronic management of the vehicle and unintended acceleration, which was brought up partly in response to last year, the scandal of alleged problems with the computer systems of braking in Toyota Priuses.

The team, including Tadayoshi Kohno, Professor of computer science at the University of Washington and Stefan Savage, Professor of computer science at the University of California, San Diego, previously showed that could take control of the car's computer systems, provided that they had physical access to the vehicle's OBD port – federally access point located below the dashboard in almost all modern cars.

With the new work, researchers systematically analyse ways of how they got on the car computer systems without the need for physical access. Used sedan zahorena after 2009 equipped with less computer systems than many high-tech cars. Every attack, which succeeded confirmed that could take complete control of all the car's internal computer systems.

Researchers attacked the car's Bluetooth system that allows drivers hands-free cell phone calls. They found a vulnerability in the way of the Bluetooth system was implemented, which them to run code to take control of the car. To do this, the researchers used smart phone already paired with the car or found a way to allow new connections and smart phone.

Today, many cars are fitted with mobile connections, security features, such as automatically calls for help, if the driver in the crash. Scientists have found that they take this system breaking through its verification system. First, did some 130 calls to his car to access, and then send the code using the 14 seconds of sound. The scientists also found other ways to gain access, for example through the player into the car.

"We were surprised when they found out that the attack is so broad," Kohno said, referring to various ways of how scientists were able to gain access to computer systems in the car.

Team to analyze the possible scenarios of attacks as well. For example, show that the thief in the high-tech should look for the models of cars, to determine their location and unlock, all without any violent intrusion. They could carry out harmful surveillance, such as forcing the car to send GPS position at regular intervals. Also they could sabotage the car, disabling its brakes, for example.

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