Security Flaw: Tesla S Model Hacked Remotely

Tesla Motors, whose Model S is the latest vehicle to be hacked, has already issued a patch to shield software weaknesses.

Hackers announced that they successfully took control of Tesla Model S remotely, shutting it down for good measure, with its screens dead and the handbrake on.

The vulnerabilities were found by Lookout chief technology officer Kevin Mahaffey and Cloudflare researcher Marc Rogers.

At low speeds-5 miles per hour or less-they were able to shut the vehicle down, which turned all the instruments and displays black and engaged the emergency brake-dragging the auto to a stop.

After a Wired article demonstrated how security researchers could remotely disable a new Jeep Cherokee by worming into the car’s infotainment system, automakers are under increased scrutiny over their digital security.

Mahaffey and Rogers will detail how they pulled off their Tesla hack at the cyber security conference Def Con in Las Vegas August 7. The driver of the vehicle still had full steering control, and was able to drive to the side of the road safely.

The automaker said that its security team works carefully with the security research community to make sure that it continues to save its systems against susceptibilities by frequently validating, stress-testing, and upgrading its safeguards.

Tesla boasts that its Model S is the most technologically advanced vehicle on earth, powered by electricity, always online and with each component controlled by an advanced computer system. The company said drivers will be able to download the updates via wifi or a cellular connection. While Tesla quickly addressed the issue, it seems that a fix for the hack-vulnerable products out of Detroit require a bit more time.

Tesla also spent more on research and development. Cars have become rolling computers, making them objects of desire for hackers, who are having a picnic finding ways to hack into cars’ operating systems.

PALO ALTA, Calif-Despite relatively strong second-quarter results, lower sales targets for its Model S and Model X vehicles have sent Tesla shares down as much as 10 per cent in early trading August 6. Mahaffey and Rogers “confirmed that Tesla indeed made a number of excellent security decisions in the design of Tesla Model S”.