Automotive electronics: the benefit or potential danger?

The modern car without electronics - is nonsense. Smart silicon under the supervision of cunning software manages the engine and brakes, steering and suspension. Soon, they say, the driver does not need, got into the car, took a couple of digits on the keyboard - and read a magazine or an annual financial report, whichever is more appropriate. Beauty! Really? 

Above safety stuffed with electronics auto thoughtful scientists from the University of California at San Diego looking at the problem from the perspective of a hacker.

Car electronics - essentially, the same computer, trained to make a decision based on the testimony of various sensors and interfere with the management nodes and units to correct their work.

No company in the world, who would not be subservient to competent hacker . It is only necessary to examine iron and soft, think by themselves and find a solution.

Hackers with university degrees to begin detailed studies of the standard system of CAN - Controller-area network, protocol information devices onboard network of electronic equipment of modern American cars. On the basis of this protocol operates virtually all electronics products of the American automobile industry in recent years.

Then there were the special software Car Shark, a kind of interceptor information packets that can make them adjust.

As a result, hacking program has been an influence on all systems and components, from control door locks and air conditioning, to brakes and engine.

During a demonstration of new software developers are "naughty" - the dynamics of airborne sound suddenly "cut in" on full blast, the speedometer jumped like rabbits, foxes running away, and the air conditioner suddenly "pop" in the face of the driver to the jet of hot air.

This is flowers! No not working to organize unruly skid at high speed, stop engine and lock the door. All these artistry administered with conventional notebook from moving close to another car.

Curiously, all the tricks occurred "accidentally" as a result of introducing an excessive number of packets with random information. What possibilities open up if CarShark will be "brought to mind" and will adjust the signals purposefully?

Scientists have demonstrated that any electronic system created to make life easier, you can use in opposite order.

Conceiving his experiment, experts in California have sought not only to demonstrate their skills, but above all, to draw attention to the problems of safety of modern cars with electronic filling. According to one of the professors, car manufacturers have neglected the safety of their systems, and ignore the possibility of their intrusion by hackers.

Well, the experiment clearly failed. Developers Car Shark consoles, today repeated his "ordinary" hackers can not afford to be required not only expertise, but also access to a car, an attacker would have to be either "to alter" on-board computer, or enter into the electrical accessories.