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Used 'Smart' Cars Put Your Safety at Risk

posted by on Monday February 20 2017, @04:52PM   Printer-friendly
from the more-like-dumb-cars,-amirite? dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Charles Henderson sold his car several years ago, but he still knows exactly where it is, and can control it from his phone.

[...] Manufacturers create apps to control smart cars — you can use your phone to unlock the car, honk the horn and find out the exact location of your vehicle. Henderson removed his personal information from services in the car before selling it back to the dealership, but he was still able to control the car through a mobile app for years.

That's because only the dealership that originally sold the car can see who has access and manually remove someone from the app. A full factory reset of the vehicle doesn't revoke mobile access, Henderson said. In order to revoke app access, you should go to a factory-authorized car dealership.

On smartphones, a factory reset wipes all the local data off the device so you can sell it to someone else. So-called internet of things devices store information in servers far away from the actual hardware. This means executing a factory reset on your car only resets the car — the data still exists in the cloud for other people to access.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by canopic jug on Monday February 20 2017, @05:33PM

    by canopic jug (3949) Subscriber Badge on Monday February 20 2017, @05:33PM (#469339) Journal
    The newer the model, the more built-in cameras and microphones on the inside, too. The same groups have access to them. The in-car network is all interconnected in a single layer without any compartmentalization. The locks, brakes, and ignition are all on the same network as the Internet-enabled entertainment system.
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  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday February 20 2017, @08:24PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Monday February 20 2017, @08:24PM (#469418)

    I've got a pair of clippers, and the internet has wiring diagrams.
    My next car will sadly have a dysfunctional antenna, maybe with a switch. I've got enough MP3s to limit the subsequent bitching.

    My current car is so dumb I only have to worry about old-style "hackers" skilled in lock-picking or window-smashing (and old enough to know how manuals work).

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 20 2017, @08:40PM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday February 20 2017, @08:40PM (#469428) Journal

      My next car will sadly have a dysfunctional antenna, maybe with a switch.

      Perhaps. If you buy it now.

      Because the next year models won't even start without a functional antenna and entertainment system; you see, the manufacturers will admit they can't have a bug-free software thus, come "patch-Tuesday" (or any day of the week), they need to be able to push... ummm... "security" updates.

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      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Monday February 20 2017, @08:48PM

        by bob_super (1357) on Monday February 20 2017, @08:48PM (#469431)

        There are still enough people living in areas with shitty cell coverage to assume that the car has to operate when it doesn't have a connection.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @09:00PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @09:00PM (#469435)

          There are still enough people living in areas with shitty cell coverage to assume that the car has to operate when it doesn't have a connection.

          I assume they can distinguish between a disabled antenna and a lack-of-coverage situation, it's not that hard.

          • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday February 20 2017, @10:19PM

            by bob_super (1357) on Monday February 20 2017, @10:19PM (#469465)

            It's expensive to differentiate between "-150dB in the canyon" and "-150dB because the antenna is only 6 inches long".

            I smell lawsuits coming if anyone is ever prevented from dealing with an emergency in a remote phoneless area, just because the car won't start until it checks its Driver Rights Management...

            • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday February 20 2017, @11:57PM

              by MostCynical (2589) on Monday February 20 2017, @11:57PM (#469504) Journal

              Company shows policy of risk prevention ("there was a risk of unauthorized access to the vehicle")
              Car wouldn't open.

              Using current logic, driver must have been a terrrist.

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