Update: Tesla has already issued a patch to fix the software vulnerabilities affecting its Model S car.
TORONTO – Cybersecurity researchers were able to take control of a Tesla Model S car and shut it off while it was driving thanks to a security flaw found in the vehicle’s software, according to a new report.
Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm Lookout, and Marc Rogers, principal security researcher at Cloudflare, told the Financial Times they were able to turn off the car while it was travelling at five miles per hour.
“We shut the car down when it was driving initially at a low speed of five miles per hour,” Rogers told the Financial Times.
“All the screens go black, the music turns off and the handbrake comes on, lurching it to a stop.”
Researchers said more details surrounding the hack would be disclosed at the Def Con cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas on Friday.
Tesla could not immediately be reached for comment; however, the Financial Times report said the electric car manufacturer would be issuing a patch to fix the issue by Thursday.
READ MORE: Chrysler owners urged to download software patch to prevent car hacking
In July, Fiat Chrysler was forced to issue a software fix to prevent hackers from attacking the Jeep Cherokee and other vehicles.
The fix was issued in response to a report in Wired magazine about two well-known hackers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, who remotely took control of a Jeep Cherokee through its UConnect entertainment system. They were able to change the vehicle’s speed and control the brakes, radio, windshield wipers and other features.
Earlier this year, BMW had to offer a software patch after hackers remotely unlocked the doors of its cars.
These incidents are the latest warning to the auto industry, which is rapidly adding Internet-connected features like WiFi and navigation that are convenient for drivers but make the car more vulnerable to outside attacks.
– With files from The Associated Press
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