Internet-connected cars, one of the larger promised elements within the Internet of Things, may still have some bugs to be worked out.
Researchers from a Chinese security company say they
have remotely tapped into the systems of a Tesla Model S and turned lights on and off, moved seats, opened the sunroof and even shut out the driver from entering the car’s system.
In a
blog post by Tencent’s Keen Security Labs, researchers said they discovered multiple security vulnerabilities and implemented remote control of a Tesla Model S in both Parking and Driving
mode.
They said the car was unmodified and had the latest Tesla technology installed.
The researchers said they reported the results and technical details to Tesla, which they said was
confirmed by the Tesla Product Security Team.
Tesla and Keen Security Lab said it was coordinating with Tesla to fix the issues, based on the blog post.
In a video accompanying the researchers’ blog post, the windshield wipers were remotely activated while the car was being driven.
In
addition, the car was remotely braked (rather abruptly, based on the video), and the trunk was opened while the car was being driven.
Tesla has issued and over-the-air security patch for its
cars to resolve the issues, according to a statement Tesla issued yesterday.