Hacking

Four European researchers, led by Flavio Garcia from the University of Birmingham, have published a paper detailing how they successfully imitated the remote control key fob signals used by up to 100 million Volkswagen vehicles produced since 1995. The paper details how the team was able to successfully produce valid key fob signals using around US$40 ($53.50) worth of electronics equipment, including a radio transmitter and receiver, battery, and circuit boards.

Jeep’s all-new Cherokee has fallen victim to the scourge of hackers in the US this week, thanks to a software vulnerability in the company’s UConnect infotainment system. Luckily for Jeep and for owners of the new Cherokee, the discovery was made by security-minded hackers as part of a planned demonstration, in partnership with technology website Wired.

A talk promising to reveal security shortcomings of modern cars' electronic network systems will be presented at the DefCon 21 hacking conference in Las Vegas next month. To be presented by Twitter security engineer Charlie Miller and IOActive director of security intelligence Chris Valasek, the talk entitled Adventures in Automotive Networks and Control Units will focus on hacking into cars’ electronic control units (ECU) and demonstrate how controls can be overridden.