Researchers from KU Leuven University needed only $600 of basic equipment to demonstrate how to hack a Model S and steal it in a matter of seconds. The researchers were able to clone the car’s locking signal and trick a key fob into releasing the response codes, allowing them access. “While this is not an exploit that would allow someone with physical access to your car to start driving it, it’s still very interesting for security researchers,” said Dr. Marc van der Linden, who led the The hack raises concerns that as cars become more high-tech, security will have to develop with it to combat threats.
Researchers from KU Leuven University needed only $600 of basic equipment to demonstrate how to hack a Model S and steal it in a matter of seconds. The researchers were able to clone the car’s locking signal and trick a key fob into releasing the response codes, allowing them access. Tesla quickly responded, offering a $10,000 reward for exposing the flaw and pledging to address the issue through a software update, adding the ability to disable "passive entry". The hack raises concerns that as cars become more high-tech, security will have to develop with it to combat threats.