Three months since the first fatal crash involving a Tesla driving in autopilot mode, hackers have taken remote control of a Tesla Model S from a distance of 12 miles, interfering with the car’s brakes, door locks, dashboard computer screen and other electronically controlled features in the high-tech car. In a video demonstrating the vulnerability, the hackers targeted both the Tesla Model S P85 and Model 75D, although they said it would work on other models too. More worryingly, the hackers could also control the car’s brakes, which could be dangerous if deployed suddenly while the vehicle was traveling at high speed on a motorway. A group of researchers at the University of South Carolina were able to fool the Tesla Model S’s autopilot system into perceiving objects where none existed or in other cases to miss a real object in Tesla’s path. Tesla is known for its commitment to this challenge and has hired dozens of security researchers to test its cars.

Source: The Guardian September 20, 2016 19:18 UTC