Vehicles ‘Increasingly Vulnerable’ to Hacking, Warns FBI

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The FBI and U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a bulletin last month warning that motor vehicles are “increasingly vulnerable” to hacking.

“The FBI and NHTSA are warning the general public and manufacturers – of vehicles, vehicle components, and aftermarket devices – to maintain awareness of potential issues and cybersecurity threats related to connected vehicle technologies in modern vehicles,” the agencies said in the bulletin.

In July 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV recalled 1.4 million U.S. vehicles to install software after a report raised concerns about hacking, the first action of its kind for the auto industry.

Also last year, General Motors Co. issued a security update for a smartphone app that could have allowed a hacker to take control of some functions of a plug-in hybrid electric Chevrolet Volt, like starting the engine and unlocking the doors.

In January 2015, BMW AG said it had fixed a security flaw that could have allowed up to 2.2 million vehicles to have doors remotely opened by hackers.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind told reporters in July 2015 that automakers must move fast to address hacking issues.

The Fiat Chrysler recall came after Wired magazine reported hackers could remotely take control of some functions of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, including steering, transmission and brakes. NHTSA has said there has never been a real-world example of a hacker taking control of a vehicle.

Two major U.S. auto trade associations – the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Association of Global Automakers – late last year opened an Information Sharing and Analysis Center to share cyber-threat information and potential vulnerabilities in vehicles.

The FBI bulletin warned that criminals could exploit online vehicle software updates by sending fake e-mail messages to vehicle owners looking to obtain legitimate software updates. The recipients could be tricked into clicking links to malicious Web sites or opening attachments containing malicious software.