Hackers Hijack Jeep, Taking Almost Full Control of the Vehicle

Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek conducted an experiment earlier this month that ended up with a Jeep in a ditch, although the driver didn't drive it there. The two remotely hijacked the car, controlling it through a laptop and a cell phone.

FCA says vehicles from the 2013 and 2014 model years with 8.4-inch touchscreen are affected. That includes Ram pickup trucks, the Dodge Durango, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Viper. Some 2015 Chrysler 200 sedans are also affected.

Owners can download the software from FCA's UConnect website and install it on their vehicles. Dealers will also install it for free. Affected owners will be contacted by mail.

Miller told The Associated Press in an email that he has downloaded the software patch and it appears to fix the issue. But he said other issues remain, including automakers' inability to detect attacks that are in progress.

Miller said he and Valasek first told FCA about their research in October and have been in touch with the company several times since then.

FCA says it doesn't know of any hacking incidents outside the one described in the article. The company said it's working with suppliers to make further improvements to its system.

from: http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/07/22/hackers-take-control-of-jeep-fiat-chrysler-offers-fix.html