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GM's OnStar System Hacked

Posted by michael on from the think-outside-the-box dept.

Makarand writes "According to this Mercury News article users of GM's OnStar system are finding that they can modify their OnStar unit to make it work with commercially available mapping software after disconnecting it from the OnStar network. Websites and message boards are rife with step-by-step instructions to personalize OnStar's navigational and communications components. When a driver requests directions from OnStar his GPS data is routed over an analog cellular network to OnStar computers and the directions are read back to the driver on the same network. The price for this service is around $400 each year. Those who tap into their OnStar systems pay no such fees."

6 of 404 comments (clear)

  1. Not quite as spectacular as advertised by csnydermvpsoft · · Score: 4, Insightful

    All they're doing is modifying the GPS unit to work with a regular computer, while at the same time making the rest of the system (including emergency functions) inoperable. Why not just pay $50 for a basic GPS receiver?

    1. Re:Not quite as spectacular as advertised by forkboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think GM would have a hard time convincing a judge that your meddling with the car's computer network caused a leak in the coolant or made a ball joint crack. You can't really cause physical defects to a car via the computer.

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  2. Consider the cost by dacarr · · Score: 5, Insightful
    People will pay about US$30-35 to have this and get directions based on numerous things, or they can hack it and find a way to collect the data locally. Most people who hack this aren't going to be the type to need somebody's help for $30/mo though, and many people who can't hack this but can read maps might just have it done.

    So in the end, you'll be left with people who have an Onstar box and will rather pay the $30/mo as well as their cellphone bills, blissfully unaware that they can make 911 calls for free on disconnected cellphones.

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  3. DMCA in 5..4..3... by CarrionBird · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How long will it take for GM to claim that the Onstar devices are licensed, not sold? Either way, a big part of onstar is the live operator service for emergencies, how do you replace that?

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  4. Re:Cool and all, but by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's wrong with a hand-held GPS unit and a map?

    The answer is contained in your question : "hand-held" and "map".

    And some people wonder why there are so many road accidents ...

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  5. But that's the pont. by mindstrm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If something went wrong with the electrical system, and they could reasonably show that your modifications to onstar could have caused it, fine, fair enough..

    But "voids the warrantee" means that, if you modify the onstar system, and then a week later the rear axle falls off and the right front door hinges sieze up, they can say "sorry, you modified your onstar system, it's your problem".

    The act in question means they can't just invalidate teh entire warrantee on the vehicle just because of one unrelated part.