Hackers may be able to break easily into apps that let users unlock their cars, as threat of cyber-attacks continues to grow.
ISec researchers Don Bailey and Matthew Solnik said they were able to break into and intercept messages between a car and its network within two hours, duplicating them on a laptop. Bailey and Solnik say they have produced a video that shows their technology working and plan to show it at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas next week.
Although the technology has yet to be widely released or used by real hackers, Bailey and Solnik maintain that if the technology is unchanged, skilled hackers will be able to easily unlock any car equipped with a remote control app, start the engine and even learn the coordinates of a built-in GPS.
ISec won't reveal who created the vulnerabilities inside this software, which are made even more timely by the string of cyber-attacks that have been hitting major corporations and governments. Recent attacks from hacker groups LulzSec and Anonymous have proven hackers are on the rise and may continue be a serious threat.
Other car-related apps may also be susceptible to hacking. An app from Parkmobile and Liberty Plugins allows electric vehicle owners pay to charge their vehicles with their smartphone. If hackers can figure out how to infiltrate this particular app, it may give them access to users' payment information.
If the technology used to unlock and start cars can't be made hacker-proof, its vulnerability may stifle similar types of innovation, and put other security-related apps at risk. Lock maker Schlage recently released an app, for instance, that lets smartphone users unlock their homes with the push of a button. Researchers have not done studies on the security of the app, but it may also attract unscrupulous cybercriminals' attention.
Users may be slow to pick up this tech unless they know it's safe and hackers are under control. If susceptible to security vulnerabilities, however, people may be reluctant to embrace the new technology and will hold tight to their old fashioned keys for the foreseeable future.
Hackers Break Into Car Locking Apps originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:56 pm.
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