Using Tire Pressure Sensors To Spy On Cars

AngryDad writes "Beginning last September, all vehicles sold in the US have been required to have Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) installed. An article up at HexView enumerates privacy issues introduced by TPMS, and some of them look pretty scary. Did you know that traffic sensors on highways can be adopted to read TPMS data and track individual vehicles? How about an explosive device that sets itself off when the right vehicle passes nearby? TPMS has been discussed in the past, but I haven't seen its privacy implications analyzed before. Fortunately the problem is easy to fix: encrypt TPMS data the way keyless entry systems do."

Comments

Part of me feels paranoid now...

[AioKits]

Especially this part:
How about an explosive device that sets itself off when the right vehicle passes nearby?
Great, first I have to worry about the tolls on I-44 through Oklahoma, now I got to worry about exploding vehicles?
Maybe in the future we can all roll to work in giant hamster balls. Getting groceries home will be a bitch tho...

RFID tracking

[nguy]

Tires already come with RFID tags, which can also be read and tracked remotely. Cars probably also emit all sorts of other unique signals that can be recognized and tracked.

Of course, cars also come with this thing called a "license plate", which can also be tracked remotely and wirelessly.

Basically, if you drive, you can be tracked.

Re:RFID tracking

[nguy]

Using RFID combined with detectors at every street corner will allow for constant surveillance of every car all the time.

So do license plate readers, and they can operate from greater distances and completely passively. Cost for a license plate reader is about the same as a good RFID reader, and they are probably at least as reliable. Furthermore, you are required to keep your license plate readable.

Some cities are already starting to implement complete license plate-based tracking of vehicles.

Re:RFID tracking

[afaik_ianal]

Of course, cars also come with this thing called a "license plate", which can also be tracked remotely and wirelessly.

I don't know about "wirelessly" unless you are talking about people using their eyeballs. On Australian highways (In my state of New South Wales, at least), we have special cameras located on overpasses and things every couple of hundred kilometres or so. These most definitely detect where the number plates are in the image, cut them out, perform OCR, then record the ones that are on trucks. It's used to enforce the laws preventing truckers from driving too far without sleep, and constant speeding.

These cameras have been around for over 10 years, and I assure you, are highly accurate.

President authorizes warrentless tire tapping...

[Digestromath]

In the War on Terrorism, the president in his finite capacity for wisdom has authorized any government agency, with at least 3 letters in its acronym, to engage in acts of tire tapping without the need for endless judicial oversite.

The government won't use this information to track you down to that seedy little motel on the side of route 9, where you cavort with no less than 3 women other than your wife. We only care about catching bad guys. Your wife however...

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Re: Finally, an April Fools story!!!

[c6gunner]

Personally, I've never really been scared by any of the things our government keeps telling me I should be terrorized by, but what really scares me is the bleak future I see for my kids and their kids...caused by our own Orwellian, all-powerful government.

Yeah, I soooooo hear ya on that one! You know what else scares me? Clowns. The government keeps saying that there's nothing to fear from clowns, but I know The Truth! Those colourful costumes and goofy makeup are the perfect disguises for Secret Service death squads, prowling our neighbourhoods and looking to assassinate or brainwash anyone they see purchasing organic tomatoes. It's downright terrifying!

I'm glad to see that there's other right-minded folk like me on here! Keep up the good work Mr. Transporter!

Re:OnStar

[geekoid]

I know 1 person with on star, and they were in a bad accident, having the OnStar saved her life.

Clearly OnStar causes accidents.