Fiat recalls 8,000 more ‘hackable’ Jeeps

Sep 8, 2015 | Mobile, Regulation

Car maker Fiat Chrysler has recalled 8,000 vehicles after fears that hackers could take over the controls from the driver. The recall is of the new Jeep Renegade SUV, and specifically those ordered with 6.5in touchscreens in the dashboard. The 2015 Jeep Renegade comes with an in-dash infotainment system that has a 6.5 inch touchscreen, […]

Car maker Fiat Chrysler has recalled 8,000 vehicles after fears that hackers could take over the controls from the driver.


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The recall is of the new Jeep Renegade SUV, and specifically those ordered with 6.5in touchscreens in the dashboard.
The 2015 Jeep Renegade comes with an in-dash infotainment system that has a 6.5 inch touchscreen, Fiat Chrysler says more than half of the affected models are still at dealerships across the country and they will be patched and serviced prior to being sold to the public.
The flaw originally came to light when it was demonstrated by security researchers who took control of a Jeep Cherokee while it was being driven by a journalist on a public road. Chrysler, who was warned about the vulnerability before it was made public, recalled 1.4 million vehicles for a software update.
The mocve adds to fears that self driving and semi-autonomous vehicles could be vulnerable to software hacks, with several real-life hacks already taking pace in 2015.
The company issued a recall for 1.4 million vehicles a few weeks back after a team of security researchers demonstrated a vulnerability that allows attackers to remotely hack into the car and control vital functions including killing the engine.
Fiat Chrysler started distributing a software patch for millions of vehicles, via a USB stick sent in the post.
The car firm has been criticised by security experts who say posting a USB stick is “not a good idea”.
Fiat Chrysler told technology magazine Wired: “Consumer safety and security is our highest priority. We are committed to improving from this experience and working with the industry and with suppliers to develop best practices to address these risks.”