The high-tech cars of the future are arguably here, and if you don’t believe it quite yet, they’re certainly well on their way to being here. Currently, some of the most advanced cars tech-wise are Teslas, which are only becoming more popular.
That being said, nothing is flawless, and Tesla vehicles have already been known to have a few issues. Most recently, a teenage hacker discovered a dangerous software flaw that leaves a number of Tesla owners at risk.
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A seemingly kind teenage hacker has found a major flaw in Tesla vehicles across the world.
According to his Twitter bio, David Colombo is a 19-year-old IT security specialist and hacker, and he recently posted a thread in which he claims he’s hacked into over 25 Teslas worldwide and has no way to alert the owners of the vulnerability.
Before he gets into the details, he makes one thing clear.
He states that this exploit is not a fault of Tesla’s, and is instead the fault of the individual owners.
This major flaw and hack point of entry is due to a third-party software that only a small group of Tesla owners use, which is why he’s wishing he could contact them.
He then lists the different things he’s able to control via this software.
The first one he notes is being able to turn off sentry mode, a security system that alerts owners of potential dangers to their vehicle when it’s parked, so right away there’s a major security threat involved with this claimed hacking method.
His list of potential commands runs even deeper.
Colombo also states he’s able to open/close doors and windows, control their stereo system, and start the car via keyless driving.
He’s also able to pinpoint the car’s exact location and determine whether or not the driver is present in the vehicle at that moment.
Luckily, he’s not a malicious guy.
The most harmful thing he even jokingly considers doing is Rick-rolling the driver by playing Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” remotely via the YouTube app preloaded into the vehicle.
In fact, it seems his only goal in hacking Teslas is to bring awareness to the vulnerability before someone else takes advantage of it.
He explains just a handful of the potential dangers.
Randomly blasting the stereo or opening doors and windows while one is driving down the highway is his first example, as those alone can be majorly disruptive.
He then reveals he can also control the lights as he says that flashing lights rapidly can be a danger to other drivers.
He stops there, not wanting to reveal too much.
He says he wants to “get this all fixed” before releasing any more details, just in case someone with worse intentions figures out what he’s talking about and recreates his findings.
In his list of tasks relating to this, he includes finding a way to contact and inform the owners of the affected Teslas.
Thankfully, he now has more people working on the case.
Just one day after he posted his initial tweet, he updates the thread by saying that Tesla’s security team has contacted him, informing him that they’re investigating the issue and will continue to provide him updates as they have them.
It’s always nice seeing people out there using their powers for good.
Those who have the ability to find dangerous security flaws like this, but only do so to help people, really have upstanding character and are a positive influence in their communities.
Here’s hoping this is a hobby he never stops indulging in!
h/t: Gizmodo