BMW Patches Security Flaw Affecting Over 2 Million Vehicles

An anonymous reader writes BMW has fixed a security bug which left 2.2 million cars, including models from Rolls Royce and Mini, exposed to hackers. The flaw was discovered in vehicles using BMW's ConnectedDrive software, which runs from an installed on-board Sim card. Via the smartphone app, owners can remotely control a number of functions including door locks, air conditioning and sounding the horn. Researchers from the German motorist association ADAC identified the flaw which allowed the system to connect to fake mobile phone networks, enabling hackers to remotely control the Sim card.

Comments

better solution: don't make cars network-capable

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, car systems should have, at most, a dumb screen that I can extend with whatever computer hardware I choose to add, if any. I cannot comprehend why anyone would want a built-in navigation system, for example, when my phone already does it, and does it better. Just write an app that lets me broadcast my screen through my USB port while I charge.

Re:better solution: don't make cars network-capabl

[tompaulco]

Seriously, car systems should have, at most, a dumb screen that I can extend with whatever computer hardware I choose to add, if any. I cannot comprehend why anyone would want a built-in navigation system, for example, when my phone already does it, and does it better. Just write an app that lets me broadcast my screen through my USB port while I charge.

The user interface on phones suck. It is difficult and dangerous to enter a destination, and it requires you to hold your phone or buy or manufacture something to hold the phone up in your line of sight so you don't have to keep glancing down at it. Then what happens if you get a phone call? You have to pick it up (unless the car has bluetooth, which I would imagine if you don't like integrated GPS, you probably don't like integrated bluetooth either.)
Phones are capable of doing a lot of things that they are not very good at and purpose built devices are orders of magnitudes better than phones at just about everything except making phone calls. In fact, the phonebook on my car's bluetooth connection to the phone is better than the interface on my phone.
My built-in GPS shows road construction and accidents, something my phone doesn't do, and it shows it on a 8.8 inch screen, something my phone doesn't do.

Re:better solution: don't make cars network-capabl

[houghi]

If you have Google Maps or Apple Maps, you need your data connection. There are other options available. I use Sygic and others are available. All offline. Some free, some you pay for.

If you add a (bluetooth) OBDII dongle, you can get the car data from the engine as well.

Many people have added their tablet (Apple and Android) as their primary interface for media. There is specific software available to do all this. Nothing stops you doing the same with your phone.

At this moment about 95% of the time all my radio does is transfer the sound of my phone to my boxes. I have not configured a radio station yet in the 5 years I have it. On big road trips, I prefer the Garmin, because it is easier to add a route like this into a route on the Garmin using Tyre and the Garmin software.

Added advantages for using my phone and not an internal system? When I want to do changes to it, I can do it at my desk. I can get a new device and upgrade or downgrade it as I please. If I drive with somebody, I can listen to their music. If they steal my car-radio, I buy a new one for 50-100EUR.