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Tesla Model 3 Modded To Run Ubuntu (cleantechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the if-there's-a-will-there's-a-way dept.

140Mandak262Jamuna writes: CleanTechnica is reporting that someone hacked the infotainment system of a Tesla Model 3 and got root access and installed Linux distribution Ubuntu. Redditor trsohmers is able to show an Ubuntu command shell running alongside the Tesla OS. Since Tesla supports a browser that allows you to visit any site, could this be leveraged into remote hacks? It could also mean that if Tesla sells a long-range version of the Model 3, but limits it via software, people might try to remove the block. One could potentially get a 15-day trial of full self-driving for free and extend that 15-day window forever. At least he had some guts messing with $50,000 hardware that phones home all the time. Will Tesla brick his car to attempt to disprove the security issue?

3 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Found the shorter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    > Will Tesla brick his car to attempt to disprove the security issue?

    Tesla runs a bug bounty program. Recently there was an article where a guy accidentally social engineered his way to getting admin rights on the tesla forums, and instead of overreacting, they asked him to post on the bug bounty program to get it fixed.

    On top of the web presence shit, their hardware hacking scopes are pretty neat as well. They accept submissions on car/infotainment/hardware flaws, and if you are a bona fide security researcher and ask nicely, they might even take steps to help you unbrick your hardware if you get stuck.

    In my book, that's a decent way to run a bug bounty program.

  2. limits with reasons by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The reason for limiting the range has been pointed out previously, it causes more damage to the battery per charge cycle which makes the the warranty more likely to be invoked due to battery death. If you are voiding your warranty then hey, do whatever you like to your car, just don't expect them to honor the warranty.

    I certainly hope they engineered the car to isolate it's entertainment console from the controls (and computer control systems) because if they didn't then there is a big security issue with that alone.

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  3. Re:Feature not bug by DeBaas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next headline:
    Bottle of Heineken contains beer, a guy says after opening it...

    now that would be news!

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