Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nissan Leaf HVAC-Hack Vulnerability Disclosed (bbc.com)

Posted by timothy on from the malice-as-design-aid dept.

GWBasic writes: Some of Nissan's Leaf cars can be easily hacked, allowing their heating and air-conditioning systems to be hijacked, according to [Troy Hunt,] a prominent security researcher. .... Mr Hunt said the root of the problem was that the firm's NissanConnect app needed only a car's vehicle identification number (VIN) to take control. That means that pranksters could pretty easily run down a Leaf's battery via Nissan's app just by cycling through VIN numbers, which, the article points out, typically vary only in the last few digits for same-region Leafs, and for an electric car that's a big deal -- you can't just get a quick jump and be on your way. For now, Hunt says, the only thing owners can do is disable the remote-control feature completely.

7 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Jesus christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've been driving for nearly 30 years and I have yet to come up with a reason why my car needs to be on the internet. Or my DVD player. Or TV. Or refrigerator. Or light bulbs. They all seem to work just fine in standalone mode.

  2. At this point... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Insightful
    ... for such an egregious lapse in security to be present in a vehicle, it should be criminal.

    .
    It appears that is the only way the car manufacturers will sit up and pay attention to the need for security in their vehicles.

  3. Re:Tiny non-problem discovered by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why would you have a remote control feature on a car enabled at ALL?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  4. as a LEAF owner by Kevoco · · Score: 4, Informative

    this does not bug me, much - the Nissan EV apps's remote HVAC feature is nice for warming up the car in the morning while it is still attached to the home charger. You can heat the interior without impacting the traction battery. Little known fact: heating a LEAF that's been parked outside in freezing weather has a greater impact on the battery (driving range) than cooling the same vehicle in the summer.

  5. Re:Tiny non-problem discovered by beelsebob · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because it's really convenient to be able to start the air conditioning remotely, so that the car is already cool when you get in it. This is especially important with electric cars, where the power to cool the car down initially will then be drawn from the grid, not the battery.

  6. Re:Tiny non-problem discovered by bobbied · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why would you have a remote control feature on a car enabled at ALL?

    If Google is successful, it will soon also support the command "go pick up the pizza I ordered."

    How? Sit in the parking lot flashing lights and honking horn until somebody notices and drops the pie in the driver's seat?

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  7. All this talk by Marginal+Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    All this talk about hijacking a car's HVAC system puts me into a cold sweat.