Cool Technology comes with a Price

[GWguy]

How to unlock a car with a text message - CNN.com

Don Bailey says he can unlock thousands of cars across the United States simply by sending a few texts from his Android phone.

And that's not even the scary part.

Bailey, a senior security consultant with iSEC Partners, said in an interview with CNN at the Black Hat security conference here at Caesars Palace that the same hack he has used to demonstrate unlocking and even starting a car via text message also could be used to attack industrial systems, the power grid and the water system.

 

[glhs837]

Bah, not too worried. A few years back, a university group showed off how it could hack an RFID based antitheft system. All you needed was a group of genius level folks with a lot of grant money to burn, access to insider tech data from the company that made the RFID, and the ability sit get your antenna within 12-16 inches of the key to that particular car for 3-5 minutes. I have yet to find one documented case where a properly set up RFID security equipped car has been driven away.

Pretty scary. Not. Whats technically feasible and what thieves can realistically accomplish are two different things.

 

[aps45819]

Bailey said manufacturers could purchase more expensive parts that would keep these types of hacks from being possible. He thinks industry associations should put out recommendations suggesting this approach, even though cost increases would be "highly significant."

... or you could leave OnStar out of the car and the savings would be "highly significant"

 

[glhs837]

True, but if you want those benefits, you would lose them. Knowing the car will call and save Granny from living off hubcap water for a week means a lot to some folks. Bouncing that against the remote possibility that a team of graduate students want your car? I'll let Granny have her onstar.

 

[GWguy]

Getting access to the car is just minor. As noted, the big issue could be the ability to control key infrastructures. That is what would concern me. They want the car that bad? They can have it.... I have insurance.

Ever see the video of a generator self-destructing because it was sent a series of conflicting command codes from a remote location?

 

[glhs837]

Command full throttle from the engine, first gear from the trans, while using the stability programming to lock individual tires, basically making it an electronic instability system

Again, possible, in fact, I think it has been done, but only in laboratory conditions.

 

[GWguy]

Command full throttle from the engine, first gear from the trans, while using the stability programming to lock individual tires, basically making it an electronic instability system

Again, possible, in fact, I think it has been done, but only in laboratory conditions.

Actual working hardware, staged conditions.

 

[aps45819]

Command full throttle from the engine, first gear from the trans, while using the stability programming to lock individual tires, basically making it an electronic instability system

Again, possible, in fact, I think it has been done, but only in laboratory conditions.

since they now advertise remote unlocking and starting of your car using a cell phone, I don't think it would take much more programming to remotely control other functions.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

How to unlock a car with a text message - CNN.com

the only 'secure' computer, is one not connected to a LAN and that is powered off

 

[glhs837]

since they now advertise remote unlocking and starting of your car using a cell phone, I don't think it would take much more programming to remotely control other functions.

the only 'secure' computer, is one not connected to a LAN and that is powered off

Starting, easy, actually driving away a bit harder. And how hard it is to control other functions? See, the control of the unlock and start have to be accessible to the end user. Like the bank letting you access your account with an ATM. But the control of other functions, those can be locked out.

Yep, any car can be stolen. Depends on how bad they want it. But, in the big scheme of things, the odds of your car being taken are really pretty slim. Big headlines, lots of folks freaking out, but this is not a real danger to folks out there driving around.