Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • VW teases electric flagship showing a sleek four-door fastback
      Bentley appoints Skoda exec as sales chief
      Alfa Romeo names global leadership team to revive brand
      Honda unveils its new Level 3 tech, but how does it work?
    • Bentley appoints Skoda exec as sales chief
      Alfa Romeo names global leadership team to revive brand
      VW brand will accelerate electric vehicle shift
      Spain will use EU funds for EV battery plant with VW's Seat, Iberdrola
    • Opel Mokka 2020
      Stellantis battery JV seeks contracts with other automakers
      Sogefi appoints new CEO, virus weighs on 2020 results
      3BIDEN-MAIN_i.jpg
      Biden to press for $37 billion to boost chip output amid shortage
      Continental grille web.jpg
      Continental invests in object recognition startup
    • 6DEFENDER-MAIN_i.jpg
      Bigger Land Rover Defender confirmed by JLR
      Porsche adds Taycan electric wagon, stepping up Tesla challenge
      Toyota will stay in Europe's minicar segment while others electrify or leave
      Mercedes preps debut of EQE EV, a Tesla Model S rival
    • Valeo joins Bosch, GM, others in pledge for carbon neutrality
      GMEVBarra-MAIN_i.jpg
      GM aims to stop selling gasoline vehicles by 2035 in carbon neutrality pledge
      VW will appeal $20M Spanish diesel compensation ruling
      Death of diesel looms as automakers accelerate to electric future
    • UK sales plunge 36% in worst February since 1959
      Spain's February sales fell 38% in 'perfect storm'
      German sales plunge 19% in worst February since 2007
      Italy sales dropped 12% in February but incentives boosted demand from private buyers
    • Bentley appoints Skoda exec as sales chief
      Alfa Romeo names global leadership team to revive brand
      Toyota names new CEO for Europe
      Audi appoints former Porsche exec as finance chief
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Mobility
    • Segment Analysis
    • Latest Launches
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
    • Apple, Nio, other auto newcomers get creative to avoid Tesla's 'production hell'
      How Amazon, Google are transforming the auto industry
      EV-only future looks closer than ever in Europe
      European car retailing poised for shake-up as 'agency' model gains support
    • Renault CEO bets on 'winning horses' for turnaround
      Nvidia CEO says software will soon define the car, drive profit
      Tavares: Keeping PSA, FCA merger on track an 'incredible' achievement
      Renault CEO outlines ambitious revival plan
    • VW teases electric flagship showing a sleek four-door fastback
      VW brand will accelerate electric vehicle shift
      Spain will use EU funds for EV battery plant with VW's Seat, Iberdrola
      Stellantis will increase pace of EV launches in Europe, U.S.
    • Honda unveils its new Level 3 tech, but how does it work?
      Honda to sell limited batch of Level 3 self-driving cars
      VW tests self-driving taxis in Germany ahead of 2025 launch
      A 'genius idea' gets a second chance in Renault's mobility strategy
    • EVs make huge gains helped by incentives, tougher CO2 rules
      EVs, surging SUVs to hit Europe's biggest segment
      Wagons hold market share, but costly EV shift looms
      Electrification gains speed in Europe's key compact segment
    • Porsche adds Taycan electric wagon, stepping up Tesla challenge
      Hyundai counts on Bayon's 'distinctive' design to make small SUV stand out
      Mercedes positions C-Class as sportier S-Class
      Nissan Qashqai gets better handling thanks to new platform
    • How GKN is transforming to gain from e-powertrain shift
      Marelli CEO expects e-powertrains to provide long-term boost
      Veoneer boss expects to reach key milestone this quarter
      How Faurecia aims to become a hydrogen leader
    • Europe sales by model, January: Porsche, Lamborghini, Volvo defy down market; Toyota Yaris No. 1-seller for the month, VW Golf finishes 4th
      Top 10 sellers by market, January: Skoda Octavia finishes No. 1 or No. 2 in eight markets
      Russia sales fall 4% in January as rebound stalls
      CORRECTED: Turkey sales, January: Ford, Kia, Opel, BMW rise
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
    • geely.jpg
      Why Geely wants to be a contract manufacturer
      Jaguar Land Rover Gerry McGovern
      Gerry McGovern is right man to steer Jaguar reinvention
      A 'genius idea' gets a second chance in Renault's mobility strategy
      Skoda connectivity features need to offer more 'must-have' allure
    • Understanding the impact of design on marketing, brand and user experience
      Ex-Aston Martin CEO Palmer calls on UK to intensify battery commitment
      Why Apple must target the $230B luxury car market
      Apple car: Who will build it? Magna Steyr possible candidate
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • taycan_cross_1.jpg
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Volvo C40 Recharge
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Hyundai Bayon
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Honda HR-V Hybrid
    • koenigsegg-gemera-front-quarter-passenger-01.jpg
      view gallery
      14 photos
      Koenigsegg Gemera
      view gallery
      21 photos
      Fiat New 500
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Aston Martin V12 Speedster
      view gallery
      13 photos
      Audi A3 Sportback 2020
    • At the Beijing show, sales rebound and EV boom mix with murky outlook
      3BEIJING-MAIN_i.jpg
      Beijing show to highlight competition for local EV makers
      Beijing auto show delayed due to coronavirus
      Maserati will unveil Ghibli hybrid at Beijing show
    • view gallery
      11 photos
      Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Renault Captur
      view gallery
      5 photos
      Mercedes-Benz AMG GLB 53
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe
    • view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux SA2.0 SUV
      view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux A2.0 sedan
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Seat Tarraco
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Toyota Corolla station wagon
    • view gallery
      4 photos
      Nio ET Preview
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
      view gallery
      5 photos
      BMW 3-series LWB
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Mini Clubman
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress Conversations
    • ANE Shift
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • ANE Leading Women
    • Watch Again
      • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
      • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
      • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
      • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
    • Meet the 2020 winners
    • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
July 28, 2015 01:00 AM

Jeep hacking sends warning to BMW, Audi and Mercedes

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Hi-tech features such as the semi-autonomous driving technology offered in the S class, pictured, could make premium brands vulnerable to hacking.

    MUNICH (Bloomberg) -- When friendly hackers landed a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Jeep in a ditch last week, it sent a warning to BMW Group, Audi and Mercedes-Benz as the German premium automakers compete increasingly on technology rather than just horsepower.

    Mercedes's E class will soon join the S class in being able to help steer itself, while Audi sent an unmanned RS7 down a track at race-car speeds and BMW's new 7 series responds to hand gestures and parks itself. All three already offer self-braking systems and highly automated cruise control that are slowly shifting driving responsibility away from the human and toward the machine.

    Now the automakers must reassure consumers willing to spend upwards of 45,000 euros that it's safe to drive what has increasingly become a computer on wheels. All three companies say they have tools in place to thwart cyber-attacks, including encrypted connections and firewalls to shield safety and entertainment systems.

    Still, today's cars are so complex that more hacks may be inevitable, said Rainer Scholz, a Hamburg-based executive director for telematics and mobility at consulting company EY.

    "The difficulty for the carmakers at the moment is the question whether they can keep pace with advances in technology, and especially hacking technology," Scholz said. "We seriously doubt they can."

    Carmakers currently tend to focus on systems security after the final product has been built, to then patch holes, Scholz said. And hackers no longer need access to an entire car -- which in the past might have required buying one -- in order to seek out vulnerabilities, he said. Just having access to one component, such as an entertainment console, might suffice.

    Potential targets

    The number of potential targets is growing. By 2020, about 90 percent of new vehicles in western Europe will be connected to the Internet, compared with about one-third next year, according to Hitachi. Cars are more vulnerable when networks connect all their features together, according to an automotive team from NXP Semiconductors, a Netherlands-based supplier for the auto industry as well as computer industries.

    That's what happened in the Jeep hack, when a pair of researchers took control through the vehicle's entertainment system. The team that hijacked the Jeep shared their results with Fiat Chrysler, which recalled 1.4 million vehicles to fix the security flaw the hackers had exploited. The company said it's not aware of any real-world unauthorized remote hack into any of its vehicles.

    Cars are increasingly evolving into full-service mobile devices that can find restaurants, make emergency calls and even park themselves. For drivers, these perks have meant letting go of more authority, and more personal data.

    Mercedes, BMW and Audi said they separate different vehicle domains -- walling off the radio from the brakes, so to speak -- with firewalls and additional features such as public-key-cryptography and virus scanners. "Absolute, 100 percent safety isn't possible," said Benjamin Oberkersch, a spokesman for Mercedes's parent Daimler. "But we develop our systems, tested by internal and external experts, so they're up to date."

    While hacks of German cars have fallen short of the stunt to which the Jeep was exposed, BMW had to fix a security flaw in one of its digital-services systems this year. A study by German auto club ADAC found hackers could wirelessly open BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles in minutes. About 2.2 million vehicles equipped with BMW's ConnectedDrive service were vulnerable. The company closed the security gap with an automatic system upgrade that took place when vehicles connects to BMW's server. Manufacturers will need to take systems security for connected vehicles into account from the very beginning, said Cypselus von Frankenberg, a spokesman for BMW.

    "Carmakers and their suppliers will be spending a lot more effort on defining security architectures in the future," said Lars Reger, chief technology officer at NXP's auto unit.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    Recommended for You
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    2020 Eurostar winner Jürgen Weissinger
    2020 Eurostar winner Jürgen Weissinger
    2020 Eurostar winner Nicolas Racquet
    2020 Eurostar winner Nicolas Racquet
    Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    Sponsored Content: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • 2020 Media Kit
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Frankfurt Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Mobility
      • Segment Analysis
      • Latest Launches
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress Conversations
        • Watch Again
          • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
          • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
          • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
          • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
      • ANE Shift
      • ANE Rising Stars
        • Meet the 2020 winners
        • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
      • ANE Eurostars
      • ANE Leading Women
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us