Remember the 1995 movie Hackers, starringJonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie? Oh. Well, neither do I. However, hackers in 2015 — though not currently existing within the safe confines of a very, very 90s slice of cinema — are perhaps more viable than ever before. On Monday, people who pay to ease the annoyances of cheating (?) via AshleyMadison.com were given a series of near-death heart arrhythmias after a group of hackers known as the Impact Team threatened to expose the personal information of over 30 million users if their demands (overhaul the reportedly faulty Full Delete feature) weren't met.
Now, news arrives that hackers can control your car rather easily by taking over various functions of a Chrysler — meaning those prone to infidelity and fond of the Chrysler brand stand absolutely no chance in 2015. According toWIRED's Andy Greenberg, the latest software update for Chrysler's internet connectivity feature Uconnect includes a patch designed to prevent attacks orchestrated "through their cellular Internet connection to tamper with dashboard functions and track their GPS coordinates." Greenberg experienced much of these possibilities firsthand after hiring a pair of researchers to prove they could disable his Jeep Cherokee mid-drive:
For 2014 Jeep Cherokees in particular, [security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek] have extended their attack to the vehicle’s CAN bus, the network that controls functions like steering, brakes, and transmission. That’s how they were able to wirelessly disconnect the Jeep’s engine with me behind the wheel, and later disable the brakes to send me rolling into a ditch.
For those with current Chrysler models, you can obtain the updated software right here — then, per Greenberg, simply transfer it to a USB drive and then your dashboard USB port. Chrysler has reportedly been working with Miller and Valasek on the current (and, potentially, future) patches. Also, should we revisit Hackers? I think we should.
