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Used Cars Can Still Be Controlled By Their Previous Owners' Apps (wtkr.com)
An IBM security researcher recently discovered something interesting about smart cars. An anonymous reader quotes CNN:
Charles Henderson sold his car several years ago, but he still knows exactly where it is, and can control it from his phone... "The car is really smart, but it's not smart enough to know who its owner is, so it's not smart enough to know it's been resold," Henderson told CNNTech. "There's nothing on the dashboard that tells you 'the following people have access to the car.'" This isn't an isolated problem. Henderson tested four major auto manufacturers, and found they all have apps that allow previous owners to access them from a mobile device. At the RSA security conference in San Francisco on Friday, Henderson explained how people can still retain control of connected cars even after they resell them.
Manufacturers create apps to control smart cars -- you can use your phone to unlock the car, honk the horn and find out the exact location of your vehicle. Henderson removed his personal information from services in the car before selling it back to the dealership, but he was still able to control the car through a mobile app for years. That's because only the dealership that originally sold the car can see who has access and manually remove someone from the app.
It's also something to consider when buying used IoT devices -- or a smart home equipped with internet-enabled devices.
Manufacturers create apps to control smart cars -- you can use your phone to unlock the car, honk the horn and find out the exact location of your vehicle. Henderson removed his personal information from services in the car before selling it back to the dealership, but he was still able to control the car through a mobile app for years. That's because only the dealership that originally sold the car can see who has access and manually remove someone from the app.
It's also something to consider when buying used IoT devices -- or a smart home equipped with internet-enabled devices.
If you miss a payment or two, they can (sometimes) use GPS to locate the vehicle, disable it remotely, and activate the horn if the vehicle is being sequestered nearby.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
“If I was a consumer who was less than tech-savvy, I would probably consider buying new rather than second-hand for this reason,” he said.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Back in the late 1990's, I had a roommate who owned a red Toyota Corolla. After we did some Christmas shopping at a busy mall, we were confused as to where the car got parked. My roommate found a red Toyota Corolla, unlocked the doors with his key, we got in and he started the engine. We immediately knew that something was off. For example, the interior was too clean. My roommate checked the registration to discover that we were in someone else's car. We got out, locked up the car and found his car a few rows over. I read somewhere that car manufacturers make a dozen unique car keys for any particular model, making it possible for any car owner to drive off in someone else's car by accident or on purpose.
Yeah sure they are.
https://www.washingtonpost.com...
https://www.theguardian.com/te...
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/20...
>>You lose asshole.
Compared to you? Nope. with a dick attitude like that, you lose at your whole life.
>>The only known crack on that which was taken care of quickly.
At least read the articles before you show your ignorance.It was 3 different attacks.
>> YOU are welcome to try and steal our Tesla.
Sorry but I don't like them. you can keep it.
>> a cocksucker like you
Thanks for continually reemphasizing your own intellectual shortcomings. Or perhaps you are compensating for something else.
Why the flying hell do cars not have a Rental setting that wipes all data with the press of a single button?!
Actually, many of these infotainment systems do have a factory reset function. You might have to tunnel into the settings to find it, but it is often there.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
A lot of dealerships have their own buyer financing programs separated by little more than a name. Think along the lines of a buy here pay here dressed up a bit to resemble a real bank loan.
My current car is financed that way. Due to some screw ups in my credit, I was able to get a car loan a little cheaper in interest rates that way. The finance company is owned entirely by three different dealerships but is called something different and located in another state from those dealerships. I'm not aware of any other connections those three different dealerships have other than owning a finance company that they can use to sell cars to high risk people.