Jeep Chrysler Hacked, 471,000 Cars Receive Software Update

KUALA LUMPUR: With great power comes great responsibility, a saying often heard but rarely proven. Automobile industry comes up with great technology advancement every day, to make your ride comfortable and hazel free. But have you ever wondered that these technological up-gradations can be threat to your life if they get caught in wrong hands.

Such a scenario was demonstrated by two hackers, named Miller and Valase, who for the past nine months are working in collaboration with Chrysler. In their nine-months long research, they were able to hack the system software of 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which like many vehicles is installed with Uconnect. The two Hackers sneaked into the system through this software and were able to take-over all the essential functions of the car, scaring its driver to hell. Functions like air conditioning, music system, windshield wiper along with the wiper fluid, steering wheel, brake and engine ignition were under the control of the hackers. In addition, the hackers were also able to track the car's real-time position.

The video shows the two hackers taking over the car from their laptop while chilling in their apartment. All they had to do was to rewrite the chip present in the entertainment unit with the sinister code, enabling them to send a command to the car internal unit. Andy Greenberg, was used as a live dummy, and he can be clearly seen panicking as the duo takeover the vital functions of the car one after the other. It is believed that cars fitted with the Uconnect system in late 2013 are vulnerable, as any potential hacker has the ability to hack and give a command to the car internal system.

Such conditions have forced Chrysler to release an update for 471,000 cars that are installed with the defected software. The users will have to download the updated version on a memory stick, that will be later inserted in the car USB port. Chrysler hopes to clear all the mess before the Black Hat Conference, where the hackers will display the fault of system.

This episode proves that technological advancement should take place but not at the cost of human life.