David Colombo, a 19 year old German hacker managed to find a bug in the Tesla system and took full advantage in displaying his technological prowess by fiddling with some of its features. According to information, a flaw in third party software allowed the teenager to access 25 Tesla vehicles in 13 different countries as he reported in a series of amusing tweets.
The German teenage hacker who is self-described as an information technology specialist continued to state that this bug allowed him to unlock the doors and windows, start them and disable their security systems. This would have been awkward if one of the owners was sitting in their car, but Colombo claimed he could see if a driver was present in the car or not and enable the sound system and flash the headlights only if the vehicle was moving.
Related: Tesla and McLaren’s Keyless Entry System Could Be Hacked Within Seconds
While this may be a contentious debate on personal safety and well-being, the internet of things generally enables us greater freedoms but one can only begin to imagine what havoc can be caused through malicious intent. @david_colombo_ stated on January 11, 2022:
“I think it’s pretty dangerous if someone is able to remotely blast music on full volume or open the windows/doors while you are on the highway.”
The teenager did not reveal exactly how he managed to penetrate the system but maintained that it was not directly through Tesla’s software or infrastructure but rather a third party – a fault he accredits to the owners. This may not be on Elon Musk’s radar but in later tweets, Colombo stated that Tesla’s security team had logically reached out to him in an effort to investigate the issue and prevent future threats.
So, I now have full remote control of over 20 Tesla’s in 10 countries and there seems to be no way to find the owners and report it to them…
— David Colombo (@david_colombo_) January 10, 2022
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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