Posted on 07/25/2013 9:36:18 AM PDT by Crazieman
Stomping on the brakes of a 3,500-pound Ford Escape that refuses to stop–or even slow down–produces a unique feeling of anxiety. In this case it also produces a deep groaning sound, like an angry water buffalo bellowing somewhere under the SUV’s chassis. The more I pound the pedal, the louder the groan gets–along with the delighted cackling of the two hackers sitting behind me in the backseat.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Fun and games. We did all these things in test cars when I worked for an automotive supplier in the mid 1980s. Like these guys, we had to use a (much larger, heavier, slower) computer attached to the ECU module. They have it easy because they can just plug into the OBD2 connector and access the CAN bus that ties all the smart modules together. He even admits “we flooded the CAN bus with traffic” which is similar to when the hackers shoot a website down with DOS attacks.
Now if you want to believe any car is vulnerable to this kind of tampering by some nefarious means, that’s fine, you probably believe in global warming too because neither are supported by technical facts. There has to be a connection to the ECU bus, and most cars don’t have it unless you’ve got a diagnostic tool pluged in.
But as you consider your next car, think about how that neat Sync function or equivalent is now adding a wireless ECU to the vehicle, not unlike plugging a wi-fi card did to your old dumb non-networked laptop. Are there potential connective paths between the telematic and entertainment systems and the ECUs that control vehicle functions? Ask your dealer, I’m sure he’ll know ;-)
The only answer I can give is “maybe”. But one thing is for sure, if you don’t have that kind of wireless connectivity in the car, you’re immune, just like you’re not likely to get an internet virus if you don’t have internet connectivity. But what fun is that?
TWB And in this article, Hastings says he is on a ‘big story’.
Considering his recent activities, a ‘big story’ could be pretty big.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/08/three-weeks-later-details-about-reporter-michael-hastings-death-in-fiery-car-crash-remain-a-mystery/
TWB
The article notes that the wifi problem has already been demonstrated, these guys are showing what happens after control has been compromised.
The comment about worrying about a guy with a laptop is silly. While a direct wifi connection to your car's computer would not leave traces, a Raspberry Pi computer + wifi could be connected to the data port and tucked under your dash and you'd likely never notice. And since the car companies are mostly worried about wifi penetration, the data port is the current weak spot.
If they can get my 65 jeep to drive itself via remote, maybe I will give in.
Realistically, I would expect it and any other non controllable vehicle to be seized, outlawed, or victim of an accidental drone attack.
Well done. The Feebs were wasting resources investigating Hastings to begin with as the Boston Bombers plotted with barely an iota of scrutiny. The Feebs convenient Johnny-on-the-Spot appearance at 4:30 AM sent the following memo:
"ALL WHISTLEBLOWERS BEWARE. WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. YOUR VERY LAST KEYSTROKES, 'HELP -- I'M BEING FOLLOWED!!' WON'T HELP YOU."
This is why we pulled your duplicate thread(s).
This reporter was reporting on the same story that thousands of other reporters were covering. It doesn’t make sense that he would be singled out to be assassinated, but all those other reporters are not. Also, the FBI is not known for its history of assassinations. They might have been investigating leaks, or something related to internal security, but they just aren’t one of the agencies that engages in “wetwork”. If you had said the CIA were investigating him, then this theory might at least make a little sense, but as it stands, it doesn’t hold water.
As for this: “A FReeper who lives in the area of the crash scene made mention that among emergency services
at the scene of the accident were a couple of “ FBI “ agents also there.
At 4:30 AM , .. and they were just passing by ?”
Sorry, but an anonymous internet poster is not really a reliable source. I wouldn’t give that notion any credence unless there is some confirmation.
Yes, but that article, if you read the whole thing, showed that none of those hacks would work on a “virgin” vehicle, that the hackers didn’t gain access to somehow beforehand. That access may have been by getting them to play an audio cd in the vehicle, or through a compromised diagnostic computer at the mechanics, but there had to be some setup work done in order for any of the hacks to work. They cannot just pick a random car on the street and hack into it wirelessly.
“Just wait until you’re required by the state to have a wireless connection...”
Move to another state, problem solved.
Yes, I’ve seen that too, but it’s still not enough for me to get worked up about. Coincidences do actually happen, all the time. They only seem sinister when you have already decided that something strange is going on and start looking for them, treating them as bad omens.
Agreed that the FBI isn't known for assasination, or "wetwork "
That is why I put the acronym in quotes (ie: " FBI " ).
Well, get physical access (valet, car wash, etc), and attach an odb2 reader to a Wi-Fi (Raspberry Pi, $25) and then you’ve essentially enabled the mother of all extension cords.
I searched hacker. I did honest!
Of course it didn’t work. “Hackers” (as in the headline) does.
What does Occam’s point to in this case then?
Well, I could think of several simpler explanations for a late night car crash than “remote control assassination by government agents”. Reckless driving, alcoholic relapse, asleep at the wheel, mechanical failure, prescription drug interaction incident, mental health problems, etc. I don’t know which of those best fit this particular case, but I would want to rule out all of those options and more before I even thought about “government assassination”.
None of those examples fit this situation particularly well. Have you have seen a car accident? I’ve done 100+mile per day commute for more than 10 years and I’ve literally seen hundreds of accidents. I’ve only seen 2 car fires and neither were caused by collisions. When the overwhelming majority of even bad collisions don’t cause car fires why would you then think that the it’s logical that the collision was caused by a car fire.
Never buy a car made after 1980 if you have to buy a newer car, never buy a car made after 2001, or 1997 if you want a Cadillac...
Well, I could think of several simpler explanations for a late night car crash than “remote control assassination by government agents”. Reckless driving, alcoholic relapse, asleep at the wheel, mechanical failure, prescription drug interaction incident, mental health problems, etc. I don’t know which of those best fit this particular case, but I would want to rule out all of those options and more before I even thought about “government assassination”.
I wonder how quick the gov would shut down a site that would publish how to remove the wireless circuitry from a car, to make it a truly stand alone car.
“When the overwhelming majority of even bad collisions don’t cause car fires why would you then think that the it’s logical that the collision was caused by a car fire.”
Well, I don’t think the collision was caused by the fire, but probably the other way around, I think that is what you mean. It’s also true that in the vast majority of collisions, vehicles are not traveling in excess of 100mph, nor does the vehicle come to a dead stop from such a speed by hitting an immovable object like a tree. So, to judge one particular accident by a lot of other accidents that it is not similar to is not a logical proposition.
Is it rare for collisions to start fires? Under normal circumstances, yes. However, these were not normal circumstances, and it wouldn’t be rare at all to see a fire in a case like this where the vehicle stopped so suddenly that the engine was torn free.
Here is some info the conspiracy mongers probably won’t tell you:
“According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one out of five reported fires is a car fire. In fact, 18 percent of all fires takes place on a highway or other road and involves a motor vehicle.
· Also according to the NFPA, 33 car fires are reported every hour across the country, with one person per day dying in a car fire accident in the years between 2002 and 2005.
· According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were 258,000 vehicle fires in 2007 and 385 deaths. There were 1,675 injuries.
· There is a vehicle fire every 96 seconds in the United States.
· The majority (75%) of highway vehicle fires are caused by mechanical failures or other car malfunctions. However, vehicle fires caused by collisions are responsible for almost 60% of vehicle fire deaths. “
http://www.chandlerlawgroup.com/library/national-vehicle-fire-statistics.cfm
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