…To Defend Against Hacks.
Bloomberg- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is recalling about 1.4 million cars and trucks equipped with radios that are vulnerable to hacking, the first formal safety campaign in response to a cybersecurity threat.
The move marks a milestone for the industry, which last year set a record with 64 million autos called back for fixes in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, under fire from Congress for not catching defects more quickly, has been considering punitive action against Fiat Chrysler for failing to protect vehicle owners. MORE
Fix It Again Tony
If Mercedes Benz still owned Chrysler like when they were Daimler/Chrysler this would have never happened. You couldn’t pay me enough to buy or drive a Fiat. Of course you know Fiat really means POS in Italian.
They also come with Italian tires:
Dago forward, Dago backward, Dago through mud, Dago through snow, Dago everywhere. And when Dago flat, Dago Wop, Wop, Wop!
I have heard from some combo gearhead/hacker pals that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet when it comes to automotive digital shenanigans. Keep in mind that whatever the car mfgrs are building, they have been informed (informally, confidentially, secretly, whatever) that their remote access to auto systems will have to be made available for govt/cop monitoring and control. That means these systems are inherently dangerous and the only safeguards are access controls. So far, there are no reported remote access systems whose access controls are not crackable. It is simply how much time or money the crackers want to spend.
Great joke, an oldie but a goodie back when we could make ethnic jokes and laugh at them without being guilty of being politically incorrect.
Chrysler was a financial SINKHOLE for Mercedes.
You mean…
…like their tires going ““wop! wop! wop!”?!?
Now if they could fix the vulnerability to Rust
The folks who used to rent from my dad had a Fiat. I was not driving age yet. I opened the door, sat down in it and thought it was made cheap. When I tried to open the door to get out, the handle came off in my hand.
Did have a friend who had a Fiat X 1/9 convertible and went for one ride in it. I did not feel safe in that car.
I *loved* the orginal/genuine Fiat 500.
Cutest sardine can around!
(on the right…)
https://chairmanoftheboard.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/fiat-500-new-vs-old.jpg
From what I could find the problem is, hackers can gain access through the connected info-tainment system. That matters because that sub-system is also hanging on the vehicle CAN bus, along with many other sub pieces of the vehicle control system. So once they have a beachhead into the CAN bus via the radio head unit they can then access the other devices on the bus.
I think the recall is just to to manually install a security patch into the radio system (via USB stick or SD card). IMO all mfgrs using similar approaches are vulnerable, not just Chrysler.
Chrysler Fiat, now those two names together are a joke.
I had a new 2001 Dodge Quad Cab pickup. After three transmissions in 75,000 miles I got rid of it. Last Chrysler product I will ever own.
Who really cares whether they hack into your radio? It would be annoying, yes, but small potatoes.
The real concern is that it is possible with many recent vehicles to hack into the vehicles control system, including things like washer/wiper (which can limit your vision), drive train (engine, transmission), and brakes. There was a recent story in the press about this very thing being demonstrated. That is serious sh*t, potentially life-threatening.
I worked at a Chrysler dealership and could never figure out why people would waste their money on such poorly designed and manufactured junk. Fiat is even worse. Put the two together and you end up with a clusterfuck on wheels.
The old hemis were nice, so were the police vehicles from the 1970s, but their new computer system doesn’t have the brains my TI-83 calculator has.