Mercedes Can Now Update Car Software Remotely 228
Posted
by
timothy
from the new-context-for-blackmail dept.
from the new-context-for-blackmail dept.
MatthewVD writes "Our cars run millions of lines of code that need constant and, often, critical updates. Jim Motavalli writes that Mercedes-Benz's new mbrace2 'cloud infotainment system' has a secret capability: it can update software automatically and wirelessly. In a process called 'reflashing,' the Mercedes system turns on the car operating system (CU), downloads the new application, then cuts itself off. With companies like Fisker paying dearly for constant recalls for software problems, automakers will likely rush to embrace this technology. No more USBs in the dashboard!"
what could possibly go wrong (Score:5, Interesting)
Soon:
- First maleware for cars spotted in the wild. Car manufacturers: "No problem. it only infects the multimedia system"
- Maleware displays a huge kitty on the HUD. First malware caused traffic accident with casualties.
- Anti-Virus Software mandatory for cars
- Kaspersky/McAffee/.. : ~40% of all cars infected with one virus or another....
Re:Well Mercedes are a favourate of bankers (Score:4, Interesting)
Ok , but what happens if... (Score:2, Interesting)
... the car decides to download and install new firmware at the exact same time as Mick Mechanic pulls the battery or the main fuse out? A very VERY expensive brick?
Turn on the CU? (Score:4, Interesting)
"In a process called ‘reflashing,’ the Mercedes system can turn on the car operating system (CU), download the new application, then cut itself off."
So the car is regularly polling a server and can switch itself on? That sounds decidedly unsettling.
Could somebody elaborate on the diagnostic capabilities of these cars? Do they alert you if your brakes are inefficient or if your tyres are wearing out? I'm too poor to afford one to know :(
Cheers.
Avi Rubin hacking cars. TED.com (Score:4, Interesting)
Hacking cars has already been done, and is shown here in this ted.com video. 4:42 is where he explains about it.
http://www.ted.com/talks/avi_rubin_all_your_devices_can_be_hacked.html [ted.com]
Many of the internal systems was hacked, including the system for breaking.
From ted.com:
"Could someone hack your pacemaker? At TEDxMidAtlantic, Avi Rubin explains how hackers are compromising cars, smartphones and medical devices, and warns us about the dangers of an increasingly hack-able world.
Avi Rubin is a professor of computer science and director of Health and Medical Security Lab at Johns Hopkins University. His current research is focused on the security of electronic medical records"
Re:Secret capability? (Score:2, Interesting)
Ever heard of "hyperlinks" [wikipedia.org] Sherlock?
aka
Citation needed
Ever heard of "getting off your lazy fucking ass" [google.com], Sherlock?
But since you've already proved yourself to be mentally challenged, I'll save you the "trouble" [mercedesbe...rgblog.com].
Re:Secret capability? (Score:2, Interesting)
They don't have to worry. They will get bailed out by Washington any time they need it. They are "too big to fail". Have been for a rather long while now.