If you purchased a new car in the past few years, chances are good that it contains at least one embedded modem, which it uses to offer some connected services. The benefits are numerous and include convenience features like interior preheating on a cold morning, diagnostics that warn of failures before they happen, and safety features like teen driver monitoring.
In 2015 a pair of researchers proved they could remotely disable a Jeep Cherokee while it was being driven, via an exploit in the SUV’s infotainment system. Since then, security flaws have been found in some cars’ Wi-Fi networks, NFC keys and Bluetooth, and in third-party telematics systems.
Toward the end of 2022, a researcher named Sam Curry tested the security of various automakers and telematics systems and discovered security holes and vulnerabilities seemingly wherever he looked. The somewhat encouraging news is that the hackers’ discoveries resulted in the affected companies fixing their flaws.