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The Shoddy State of Automotive Wireless Security
angry tapir writes "Researchers from Rutgers University and University of South Carolina have found that wireless communications between new cars and their tires can be intercepted or even forged. While the potential for misuse may be minimal, this vulnerability points to a troubling lack of rigor with secure software development for new automobiles, said Wenyuan Xu, a computer science assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, who was a co-lead on the study. The researchers will present their findings at the Usenix Security Symposium, being held this week in Washington DC."
That is a valid point about the communications, however, from the article, if incorrect data is sent by something pretending to be the tire gauge, it was enough to corrupt the controller to the point where even a simple reboot was not enough to fix it. It had to be replaced by the dealer. Certainly resources need to be allocated wisely however when the device crashes due to invalid inputs, that is at best annoying, at worst very expensive to repair.
Hell, your cell phone will give you up.
At least Rick Astley won't give you up, nor will he let you down.
Ask me to design my ideal car and it'll have a lightweight but strong aluminium body, a simple, efficient diesel engine, comfortable seats and a decent stereo. Everything else is chaff, I don't even need ABS.
I'd rather have airbags than a decent stereo.
However, before even thinking about airbags, I'd really enjoy to have lights, windshield, mirrors, ...
Brakes are nice too. unless you're planning to go slow enough to brake with your foot.
Ask me to design my ideal car and it'll have a lightweight but strong aluminium body, a simple, efficient diesel engine, comfortable seats and a decent stereo. Everything else is chaff, I don't even need ABS.
I'd rather have airbags than a decent stereo.
However, before even thinking about airbags, I'd really enjoy to have lights, windshield, mirrors, ...
Brakes are nice too. unless you're planning to go slow enough to brake with your foot.
Wheels are a nice feature too.
Go try and buy new tires and see how far you get when you refuse to tell the dealer your name. He (or rather, the government) wants a name associated with the tires RFID chips
As someone who sold tires for years, I can tell you that there's a foolproof way to get tires without giving out your name. I realize it's crafty and devious, which is why you may not have thought of it. Here it is: Make something up. Wild, I know, but there's about a 99% chance it will work because nobody gives a shit. Seriously, take off the tinfoil hat.
When I was working for a major chain selling tires, I asked for a name for one and only one reason. Our software wouldn't let me make an invoice without a name. It also required a few other things, but it's just as easy to make up a phone number too. If you lied to me at any point, how the hell would I know? It's not like I asked people to present ID to get tires.
You might think you don't need ABS, but as another driver on the road, I'd prefer you had it. I'd prefer it a lot.
I don't care if you think you can pump the brakes well. ABS can pump them a lot faster, and it can do something you can't ever do without drastically changing the controls design: it can pump the brakes individually by wheel.
If the only danger was you sliding off a curve into a a tree or ravine after losing your steering, I'd say, "Go for it, we can always use less people." But it's not. There's also the danger of you not being able to avoid an accident with me, and I like being alive!.
Please be considerate of your other drivers.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!