Jeep hack exposes car security threat

A recent video made by popular tech website Wired.com in the US has exposed a significant security threat in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) vehicles – such as Jeeps, Chryslers and Fiats – fitted with the Uconnect infotainment system, by shutting down a Jeep Cherokee engine while driving on the highway.

Put simply, the hack lets anyone with a computer and an internet connection take control of the vehicle's radio, wipers, horn and even its steering, brakes and engine.

Although the video is sure to send chills up the spines of vehicle owners everywhere, FCA's Australian arm has issued a press statement today stating "no vehicles in Australia nor any international market outside of the USA were affected by this issue".

FCA Australia says the American-only system is "not present in Australian vehicles" because they are "not equipped with an external cellular connection".

Nevertheless, motoring.com.au has spoken to several Jeep owners in Australia who are currently updating their Uconnect software.

According to FCA it now has "a dedicated team from System Quality Engineering focused on identifying and implementing software best practices" to prevent incidents such as this from happening in future.

It raises the spectre of vehicle hacking and vehicle software viruses as outlined in an April Fools story published on this website earlier in 2015, meant as a joke.

But the Jeep Cherokee hacked in the USA by Twitter employee Charlie Miller and IOActive researcher Chris Valasek reveals that cyber attacks on vehicles are now a reality.

The pair of software security specialists initially switched on the Jeep Cherokee's radio then proceeded to modify the Uconnect software to gain access to the vehicle's brakes, engine and steering.

In normal use, the Jeep Cherokee in the USA can be paired with the Uconnect App to start the engine and turn on internal systems remotely, and as cars continue to rely on more technology to appeal to buyers, there's potential for more security breaches.

"There are hundreds of thousands of cars that are vulnerable on the road right now," said Miller, whose former employer is the National Security Agency or NSA.

According to the Wired.com video, the pair of hackers will release part of the exploit code at the 2015 Black Hat conference in August.

FCA says a software update for US customers improves "vehicle electronic security" after the hackers alerted the company to the security breach.

Although FCA is the first high-profile car hack case, it certainly won't be the last.

Although fully autonomous cars are still several years away, they will require a constant high bandwidth internet connection to ensure appropriate navigation. If hacked and exploited for nefarious purposes this could lead to complete remote control of a car and its occupants.