A group of researchers has taken a new step in modifying Tesla cars, unlocking paid features and discovering a way to hack Tesla’s infotainment system.
It was already possible to tweak » his Tesla to activate certain features such as additional non-active speakers or heated rear seats. We can root his Tesla since… at least 2016. But a new method could take this practice to the next level, like the jailbreak on iPhone or root on Android.
THE ” Tesla Jailbreak »
A group of TU Berlin students, assisted by an independent security researcher, have found a way to hack into Tesla’s AMD-based infotainment system, also known as MCU-Z. They can thus unlock the paid features of the electric vehicles concerned, without having to pay for them, of course.
This ” jailbreak would even be unpatchable and would allow “to run any software on the infotainment system”, paving the way for the activation of paid functions such as the boost, additional acceleration, on the Long Range versions and even the fully autonomous driving function, FSD. THE jailbreak would intervene so low in the system, that the researchers predict that Tesla could not fix the flaw with a software update.
How does it work?
The research team discovered how extract vehicle-specific RSA key using a well-known voltage fault injection attack against the AMD processor, with hardware “ cheap “.
Graduate student Christian Werling explained that the attack could be done by someone with experience in electronics and a budget of around $100. Far more difficult than a software attack, the AMD processor vulnerability cannot be patched without a hardware change.
RSA Key Transfers Vehicle Identity Without Tesla’s Help, bypassing the restrictions in place. By attacking the boot process, researchers have obtained rights root on the infotainment systemwith access to private user data.
The possibility of hacking Tesla vehicles raises ethical and security questions, of course. The researchers have yet to reveal the technical details of their work. However, they will present their findings at the Black Hat USA 2023 hacker conference on August 9.
With the root of the Tesla, it is clearly seen that the fields of new technologies and cars have come closer together, with similar functions. Within a few years, it is possible that the root cars become commonplace, in order to add features that are absent when purchased. Not sure, however, that this practice is legal, since it risks endangering the vital organs of the car.
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