"Gone in 130 Seconds: New Tesla Hack Gives Thieves Their Own Personal Key"

Tesla released an upgrade last year that made it easier to start its vehicles after unlocking them with their NFC key cards. A researcher has now demonstrated how the function may be used to steal cars. For years, drivers who used their Tesla NFC key card to unlock their vehicles had to place the card on the center console before they could start driving. Following the change, drivers could immediately operate their vehicles after unlocking them with the card. The NFC card is one of three means for unlocking a Tesla, with a key fob and a phone app being the other two. Martin Herfurt, a security researcher in Austria, spotted something strange about the new function right away. It not only enabled the car to start automatically after 130 seconds of being unlocked with the NFC card, but it also enabled the car to accept new keys with no authentication and notification provided by the in-car display. This article continues to discuss Herfurt's discovery of how the key card feature introduced by Tesla could be exploited to add an unauthorized key that enables an attacker to open and start a Tesla vehicle.

Ars Technica reports "Gone in 130 Seconds: New Tesla Hack Gives Thieves Their Own Personal Key"