Researchers Use Trojan CD to Hack Car

[nuthut]

You won’t hear it, and you won’t know it’s happening, but the next time you put a CD in your car stereo, you could be giving a hacker access to your car’s entire computer system.

Security researchers at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington were able to add extra code to a digital music file, effectively creating a Trojan horse, PC World reported.

Once inserted into the car’s stereo, the Trojan track gave the researchers the ability to alter the stereo’s firmware, and from there, they gained access to the car’s full computer system. The track could be spread via file-sharing networks, the researchers said.

“It’s hard to think of something more innocuous than a song,” Stefan Savage, a UCSD professor told PC World

source: Original Article

[CODYQX4]

The idea that the stereo firmware could even be connected in such a way that it can take over the car just reeks of idiot design issues.

Just imaging being able to give some neighbor you don't like a CD that will mess up their car handling, this is the risk and such a thing shouldn't even be possible.

Glad CD's are pretty much obsolete, I hope iPod docks or phone chargers can't be used to compromise the car as well.

[Hottwire]

The idea that the stereo firmware could even be connected in such a way that it can take over the car just reeks of idiot design issues.

Just imaging being able to give some neighbor you don't like a CD that will mess up their car handling, this is the risk and such a thing shouldn't even be possible.

Glad CD's are pretty much obsolete, I hope iPod docks or phone chargers can't be used to compromise the car as well.

Agree with you there :)