Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Mercedes Can Now Update Car Software Remotely

Posted by timothy on from the new-context-for-blackmail dept.

MatthewVD writes "Our cars run millions of lines of code that need constant and, often, critical updates. Jim Motavalli writes that Mercedes-Benz's new mbrace2 'cloud infotainment system' has a secret capability: it can update software automatically and wirelessly. In a process called 'reflashing,' the Mercedes system turns on the car operating system (CU), downloads the new application, then cuts itself off. With companies like Fisker paying dearly for constant recalls for software problems, automakers will likely rush to embrace this technology. No more USBs in the dashboard!"

2 of 228 comments (clear)

  1. what could possibly go wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Soon:
    - First maleware for cars spotted in the wild. Car manufacturers: "No problem. it only infects the multimedia system"
    - Maleware displays a huge kitty on the HUD. First malware caused traffic accident with casualties.
    - Anti-Virus Software mandatory for cars
    - Kaspersky/McAffee/.. : ~40% of all cars infected with one virus or another....

  2. Avi Rubin hacking cars. TED.com by Leafwiz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hacking cars has already been done, and is shown here in this ted.com video. 4:42 is where he explains about it.

    http://www.ted.com/talks/avi_rubin_all_your_devices_can_be_hacked.html

    Many of the internal systems was hacked, including the system for breaking.

    From ted.com:
    "Could someone hack your pacemaker? At TEDxMidAtlantic, Avi Rubin explains how hackers are compromising cars, smartphones and medical devices, and warns us about the dangers of an increasingly hack-able world.

      Avi Rubin is a professor of computer science and director of Health and Medical Security Lab at Johns Hopkins University. His current research is focused on the security of electronic medical records"