Risky rides ahead because of malware?

MSNBC.com - 9/7/2011
Suzanne Choney

Our cars are morphing into moving Internet hubs, with Wi-Fi becoming more available in autos, as well as a slew of embedded systems, from in-vehicle infotainment to controls for slowing your car down if it's going too fast.

All good, but not so much if drivers and passengers don't take the same computing precautions in vehicles that they do outside of them with their laptops, desktops or smartphones, and make sure they choose strong passwords and do not leave those digital doors open to intrudes.

If you don't have enough to worry about, security software maker McAfee gives you more in its new report, "Caution: Malware Ahead: An analysis of emerging risks in automotive system security."

Of course, McAfee, like other Internet security firms, plans to be a part of providing "proper security and management," for the growing market for IP-connected devices and embedded systems in vehicles:


Last year, researchers of the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington demonstrated that critical safety components of a vehicle can be hacked if physical access to the vehicle's electronic components inside the passenger cabin is available. The proof-of-concept software, which they dubbed "CarShark," was developed using homemade software and a standard computer port. The scientists figured out how to hack into a modern car using a laptop. Recently, the same research team extended the scenario to remotely mount attacks via Bluetooth. This demonstration supports the need to consider the future security implications of embedded devices in cars and conveniences such as mobile phones, GPS and Bluetooth.

Bluetooth requires a PIN number to use -- but most people use the common default setting of "0000." So, improving all your passwords and PIN numbers will help, in the car or out of it. McAfee says:


Going one step further is to combine the CarShark attack and weaknesses of Bluetooth implementation in cars. Once the attacker guesses the Bluetooth PIN, the attacker could mount the CarShark attack. Other wireless devices like web-based vehicle-immobilization systems that can remotely disable a car could be manipulated in these situations as well. The immobilization system is meant to be a theft deterrent but could be used maliciously to disable cars belonging to unsuspecting owners.

It's up to each of us to take responsibility for staying secure. As we move to a more Internet-centric world in our vehicles, McAfee's "Consumer Considerations" list, shared here, is perhaps the handiest tool for each of us to start with, before we start fretting about being hacked on the road.



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