Possible virus thru bluetooth infecting cars

[Fire14]

By Dan Ilett
URL: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5551367.html

Antivirus companies are researching reports that computer viruses have attacked the onboard computers of cars.
Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs was asked last weekend how to disinfect the onboard computers of several Lexus models: LX470, LS430 and Landcruiser 100. The security company was told that the infection likely occurred via a mobile phone.

Some mobile-phone viruses already exist, such as Cabir and Skulls, which spread by Bluetooth and infect handsets based on the Symbian operating system. Many Lexus cars include a navigation system that can connect to a mobile phone over Bluetooth to allow hands-free calls, and Kaspersky believes that Bluetooth could be used to transmit a virus to a car's GPS navigation system.

However, it is unclear which operating system Lexus uses for its navigation system. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We know that car manufacturers are integrating existing operating systems into their onboard computers--take the Fiat and Microsoft deal, for instance," said Eugene Kaspersky, head of antivirus research at Kaspersky Labs. "If infected mobile devices are scary, just think about an infected onboard computer."

David Emm, senior technology consultant at Kaspersky, said it was plausible that mobile phones could infect cars.

"It's certainly a possibility, but at this stage, it seems theoretical," Emm said. "The question is whether (onboard computers) have been subjected to attacks from (devices running the) Symbian operating system. I suspect that this will be done with a handset."

Kaspersky is still researching the reports.

Until two-way wireless transmissions were banned in races, Formula 1 racing cars were equipped with antivirus software to prevent virus attacks on the car's operating system.

[Gamer03]

Wow.....

A virus infecting cars....

I guess the Lexus models and other cars that "might" get infected have to come standard with Norton Antivirus software with a firewall.

[azcellphonejunkie]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Wow.....

A virus infecting cars....

I guess the Lexus models and other cars that "might" get infected have to come standard with Norton Antivirus software with a firewall.

I was thinking about the Acura TL too! I may have to watch this stuff as it unfolds to make sure nothing really bad starts happening before I pull the trigger!

[twopiece]

That'll be the day when viruses are able to affect an automobile's electrical system.

BT and GPS Navigation are more of a novelty for me. A friend of mine has it on his car and it seemed cool for the first few months but it got old and he hardly uses it anymore.

Not exactly what I want to do when the option was $2000.00

[azcellphonejunkie]

Originally Posted by twopiece

That'll be the day when viruses are able to affect an automobile's electrical system.

BT and GPS Navigation are more of a novelty for me. A friend of mine has it on his car and it seemed cool for the first few months but it got old and he hardly uses it anymore.

Not exactly what I want to do when the option was $2000.00

I use my navigation all the time! I travel a lot for work, so it is worth it to have so I know where I am going when out and about to client sites. It is also nice when you want to look up a phone number when you are out on the road. Kindof like a Yellow Pages in your car!

The Bluetooth part of it is very appealing to me. I use my BT headset everytime I get in the car. I would love to just have the car pick up the signal and transmit it through the speakers when I am driving. That would be choice!

[KenS]

Originally Posted by twopiece

That'll be the day when viruses are able to affect an automobile's electrical system.

A computer is a computer, and if there's a network path to it, it can be infected (and a cellphone connected via bluetooth pretty much defines "network path").

There's already been at least one incident where a monitoring computer at an electrical power plant that was supposedly behind a firewall (the software kind ) was taken down by a virus.

And considering how many embeded systems use variations of Microsoft operating systems, I'd suspect it's only a matter of time before a car's phone system is infected. Although it doesn't really matter what OS it runs; some are more vulnerable than others due to poor design or implementation mistakes, but few are hardened enough to be immune.

While an infected phone system SHOULDN'T affect the car's operation, it all depends on how integrated the computer is. What if the manufacturer uses bluetooth for the remote start function? Imagine a worm that starts, or stops, cars at random as infected phones walk by. Car manufacturers (like phone manufacturers until recently) haven't had any reason to think they were vulnerable, so they haven't had any reason not to make potentially expolitable connections between car management computers and phone control systems. And both keep getting more sophisticated with every model year.

Hopefully they'll take precautions before anything bad happens, but my cynical side tells me that they won't until something occurs to make them realize that they might be financially liable.

[azcellphonejunkie]

Originally Posted by KenS

A computer is a computer, and if there's a network path to it, it can be infected (and a cellphone connected via bluetooth pretty much defines "network path").

There's already been at least one incident where a monitoring computer at an electrical power plant that was supposedly behind a firewall (the software kind ) was taken down by a virus.

And considering how many embeded systems use variations of Microsoft operating systems, I'd suspect it's only a matter of time before a car's phone system is infected. Although it doesn't really matter what OS it runs; some are more vulnerable than others due to poor design or implementation mistakes, but few are hardened enough to be immune.

While an infected phone system SHOULDN'T affect the car's operation, it all depends on how integrated the computer is. What if the manufacturer uses bluetooth for the remote start function? Imagine a worm that starts, or stops, cars at random as infected phones walk by. Car manufacturers (like phone manufacturers until recently) haven't had any reason to think they were vulnerable, so they haven't had any reason not to make potentially expolitable connections between car management computers and phone control systems. And both keep getting more sophisticated with every model year.

Hopefully they'll take precautions before anything bad happens, but my cynical side tells me that they won't until something occurs to make them realize that they might be financially liable.

This is a really scary thought. If someone infects your phone and then you connect it to your car, there are all sorts of problems that could happen! I don't like this one bit