Security weaknesses in the set-up of Mitsubishi Outlander leave the hybrid car exposed to hack attacks — including the potential for crooks to disable theft alarms. More than , of them have been sold worldwide, around 22, of those in the UK alone.
Security researchers at Pen Test Partners began investigating the security of the car after one of its consultants noticed that the mobile app had an unusual method of connecting to the vehicle.
Most remote control apps for locating the car, flashing the headlights, locking it remotely etc work using a web service hosted by either the car's manufacturer or its service provider. Drivers communicate through the GSM mobile network via mobile data to a module on the car. Drivers need to disconnect from any other Wi-Fi networks and explicitly connect to the car Access Point in order to control car functions.
This means that drivers can only communicate with the car from within Wi-Fi range, a huge disadvantage. The Wi-Fi pre-shared key is written on a piece of paper included in the owner's manual.
The format is too simple and too short, so PTP was able to use brute force hacking techniques to crack the keys within four days.
A more powerful rig or a cloud-based system could drastically reduce the time it would take to recover these crypto keys. A thief or hacker can therefore easily locate a car that is of interest to them, Pen Test Partners warns. Youtube Video. After running a man-in-the-middle attack, Pen Test Partners gained the ability to replay various messages from the mobile app. After working out the binary protocol used for messaging, the security researchers were able to successfully turn the lights on and off.
PTP further gained the ability to control the air conditioning and heating, draining the battery in the process. After sending the correct message, with no further authentication than having cracked the Wi-Fi PSK, it was possible to turn off the alarm of the Mitsubishi Outlander. Unlock the car. Once unlocked, there is potential for many more attacks against the car. The onboard diagnostics port is accessible once the door is unlocked, opening the door to all sorts of mischief.
The full scope of potential malfeasance was beyond the scope of Pen Test Partners research. Munro expressed dismay at this response. Fortunately security conscious Mitsubishi Outlander owners can protect themselves from attack even without action by Mitsubishi. Owners can unpair all mobile devices that have been connected to the car access point, as a short term workaround. A nice security feature. A longer term fix is in the hands of Mitsubishi and would involve pushing new firmware to the Wi-Fi module so the mobile app can be used without creating a security fix.
In the longer term, Mitsubishi needs to re-engineer the rather odd Wi-Fi Access Point — client connection method completely, Pen Test Partners concludes.
Mitsubishi has published a fix, whereby the user "Delete[s] Registration", which also has the effect of turning off the Wi-Fi access point. The fix is half-way down this web page, under the heading "Delete Registration Initialization Process ".
To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct. We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. Founded in , Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have 9 million users a month around the world, and assess more than 1, products a year. All you need is your smartphone. In this article… 1. How to fix Mitsubishi Outlander exploit Share:. Related: Apple Car To make matters worse, the researchers say that Mitsubishi was reluctant to investigate. Let us know in the comments. Editorial independence Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest.
Your email address will not be published. Related Articles. I have a Pajero my mmc has Japanese labels. How do I know their English equivalents?
Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
Do not sell my personal information. Cookie Settings Read More Accept. Manage consent. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.
0コメント