To prove just how vulnerable cars nowadays are to cyber attacks, a group of white-hat hackers demonstrated how they were able to control a 2013 Corvette's functions using a simple text message.
According to security researchers from San Diego's University of California, they were able to hack into the system of the sports car through an OBD2 dongle, a small electronic device used by insurance firms to monitor the speed, location and overall performance of vehicles by connecting them to the dashboard.
These devices are telematic control units which use SIM cards to collect and send out collected data using a cellular network, according to PC World.
Made by French firm Mobile Devices, these dongles have made their way to the U.S. through various insurance firms such as Metromile. Drivers of Uber also use these devices in their cars through a partnership with the insurance company.
The security researchers explained that they were able to hack into a dongle connected to a Corvette by sending a carefully crafted text message to it. Once the device was accessed, they were able to send commands to the vehicle's CAN, also known as the Controller Area Network. This is the car's internal network responsible for several of its functions.
In the demonstration, the researchers activated the car's windshield wipers using commands sent through SMS messages. They were also able to gain full control over the car's braking mechanism.
The researchers explained that this simple hack can be used to cause harm for those inside the car. Since today's car models come with high-tech features that rely on online and central networks, hackers can now easily manipulate their internal systems and control their functions, iDigital Times reported.
After conducting their study and demonstration, the researchers immediately contacted Metromile regarding the flaw in their devices. The firm then responded by releasing a security patch for the dongle's firmware to prevent a potential cyber attack on drivers.
"We took this very seriously as soon as we found out," Dan Preston, CEO of the insurance company told Wired. "Patches have been sent to all the devices."
Check out the researchers demonstration video involving a 2013 Corvette below.
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