X
Tech

Researchers hack a car

A group of researchers from two universities tested their hacking skills on two cars and found that they could remotely lock the brakes, the engine and windows on a car; turn on the radio, heat and windshield wipers; honk the horn; and change the speedometer display.The paper will be presented by researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California at San Diego at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in Oakland, California, on Wednesday.
Written by Elinor Mills, Contributor
A group of researchers from two universities tested their hacking skills on two cars and found that they could remotely lock the brakes, the engine and windows on a car; turn on the radio, heat and windshield wipers; honk the horn; and change the speedometer display.

The paper will be presented by researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California at San Diego at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in Oakland, California, on Wednesday.

They were able to complete the hacking in tests on two cars of unnamed make and model by connecting a laptop to the electronic control system and controlling that computer wirelessly using a second laptop in a separate car.

For more on this story, read Hacking a car (Q&A) on CNET News.

Editorial standards