US regulators looking for other faulty cars after Fiat Chrysler hack

Before the Fiat Chrysler car hacking issue could settle down, it looks like that the other car manufacturers in the US are also going have such reports coming out of the faulty parts. Recent information suggests that the US auto safety regulator is trying to get the list of other companies who might have purchased the radio parts similar to that of Chrysler.

Under the supervision of the Mark Rosekind, head of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the watchdog team is trying to figure out other cars equipped with similar types of faulty parts which could be easily hacked.

The name of radio company is still a secret, but Rosekind said that the firm did not only supplied its parts to the Chrysler, but a few other businesses in the United States. Currently, they are only trying to identify to which other companies this un-named firm sold its parts.

Everyone from regulators and lawmakers had put their focus on this life threatening issue after a security researcher claimed that the General Motor Co’s On Star mobile app can be easily exploited for the control of vehicle’s communication system.

Apparently, the Chrysler is now going to install a new software for to prevent hackers from abusing the car and risk the life of their customers. The company has already recalled as many as 1.4 million cars. Probably, one of the biggest recall in the entire history of the automobile industry.

Once compromised, hackers could easily use it to control the engines, brakes or even the steering. Any car under this effect and on the highway can easily be crashed or possibly result in the death of the driver or any other person in the way. Certainly, it is one of the deadliest bugs in the history of cyber security as it involves not the credentials or money, but real life behind the wheel.

We believe, US government must have understood how easily the system can be abused to murder a person, and police would never be able to find a clue to it.

Security researchers used a special equipment that could match with the radio frequency utilized by the car for the communication purposes. After that when controlled using a program made out of several lines of code, the person was able to give the car a command as per the need. It is much similar to have a remote control in your hand.

 

About the author

Nitin Agarwal

Nitin has a background in Electrical Engineering and is passionate about the Internet of Things. He covers how connected devices like smart homes, wearables, and industrial IoT are changing our daily lives. Nitin is also a DIY enthusiast and loves to build IoT gadgets.