"Cybercriminals 'CAN' Steal Your Car, Using Novel IoT Hack"

Experts in automotive security have discovered a novel method for hijacking automobiles by hacking into their control systems via the headlight. The controller area network (CAN) bus, the Internet of Things (IoT) protocol by which devices and microcontrollers in a vehicle communicate with one another, is the determining factor. Cyberattackers can essentially subvert the vehicle's onboard, local communications network in order to potentially halt and start the vehicle, open doors and windows, and manipulate the radio. While car hacking is nothing new, Ken Tindell, CTO of Canis Automotive Labs, described how attackers exploited an electronic control unit (ECU) in the headlight of a Toyota RAV4 to get access to the vehicle's CAN bus and ultimately steal it. This is an approach that has never been observed before. Once connected via the headlamp, they hacked their way into the CAN bus, which controls functions such as the parking brakes, headlights, and smart key, and then into the powertrain panel, where the engine control is located. This article continues to discuss the IoT hack. 

Dark Reading reports "Cybercriminals 'CAN' Steal Your Car, Using Novel IoT Hack"