As cars have become ever more complicated and powerful, a dizzying array of hardware, software, and cloud-based computing is increasingly necessary to keep these cars on the road. This has fueled concerns that cars could become vulnerable to blackhat hackers, and Wired Magazine proved that car hacking is no longer science fiction with an expose on researchers Chris Valasek of IOActive and former NSA staffer Charlie Miller.
With nothing more than a laptop and a wireless internet connection, Valasek and Miller were able to link with Chrysler’s unprotected Uconnect infotainment system in a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, which transmitted unsecured information to the Sprint cellular network. From there, the hackers were able to rewrite the firmware governing the system, granting them access to the car’s major systems and allowing them to gain control of the brakes, the ignition, and even windshield wipers. In short, they can take over your car, completely and totally.
This has lead Fiat-Chrysler to recall more than 1.4 million vehicles built since late 2013 with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. As though that weren’t bad enough, the Associated Press reports that government safety regulators are also forcing FCA to buy back as many as 500,000 Ram trucks with a defective steering system that has failed several recall attempts. FCA has one last chance to fix the problem, but it has to offer customers the option of a buy back too.
This is the largest buyback ever, and FCA has to pay back the full purchase price, minus depreciation, meaning hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Compound that with a $105 million fine for FCA’s other recall issues affecting almost two-dozen models and over 11 million vehicles, and you’ve got a car company that’s taking a lot of lumps not long after it was being praised to a total turnaround.
For the hacking recall, the solution is as simple as sending an updated USB to affected customers, who don’t even have to bring their car into a dealership to resolve their hacking concerns. But as automobiles become more and more reliant on computers and, eventually, constant connectivity, car hacking could replace car theft as the number one concern of new car buyers. Worst of all, it’s now a totally legitimate concern.