Could Hackers Control Smart Cars?

Android car control apps vulnerable to hackers who can trace, track, steal or even control your car.

16:44 20 February 2017

Analysts at a Russian computer security firm have found numerous flaws of Android car control apps making them vulnerable to hackers. They said that flaws in the coding of apps from car manufacturers could allow hackers to trace, track, steal or even control your car.

 

Many high profile car manufacturers now supply propriety apps designed to allow users to start their car using their phone. According to a Russian anti-virus and computer security firm Kaspersky, such apps could be exploited compromising the safety of car owners.

 

Research and development specialist Victor Chebyshev said: 'Applications for connected cars are not ready to withstand malware attacks.'

 

'We expect that car manufacturers will have to go down the same road that banks have already taken with their application.' 

 

'After multiple cases of attacks against banking apps, many banks have improved the security of their products.'

 

'Luckily, we have not yet detected any cases of attacks against car applications, which means that car vendors still have time to do things right.' 

 

'How much time they have exactly is unknown. 'Modern Trojans are very flexible — one day they can act like normal adware, and the next day they can easily download a new configuration, making it possible to target new apps.' 

 

'The attack surface is really vast here.'