It's been 14 years since Elon Musk released his first Tesla car. Since that day, these Tesla model cars have become famous for providing their users with a number of features.
Recently, the security analysts at the NCC group shed light on a new hack with which they can easily dodge the security protection features with the help of Bluetooth Low Energy relay. Bluetooth low energy technology is not just confined to cars but can also be seen in mobile phones, laptops, and smart security locks.
The NCC group gave an overview of how the system can be cheated. It was revealed that the two-way communication between the car and the remote it is connected to can be manipulated in such a way that the car may feel like the attacker sent their signal from right next to it.
Thus, a relay attack is initiated at the link layer level. It can not only carry forward the link layer PDU, but also highlight any changes made to the connection. This is probably why the security system was not able to cope with this attack.
One of the senior security consultants of NCC group, Sultan Qasim Khan, explained that only 10 seconds are enough to get the job done and since BLE is used in the model Y and Model 3 of Tesla, both these cars are at risk.
When Tesla was informed about the limitations, they responded that the company is aware of this scenario and is working to get it fixed. As for the users, they can take two possible steps. Either they can turn off the BLE protection or they can use another method for verification that can’t be completed with a physical interaction from the device owner.
Using an ultra-wide band instead of Bluetooth could be an answer to this situation as well. Meanwhile, Tesla car users are asked to use password or pin protection to ensure no one can get inside. Lastly, if the cell phone is linked with the vehicle’s passive entry feature, turning off this link can also prevent the attackers from getting access to the vehicle.
Read next: The Number Of Houses Around The World With Smart Devices Is Expected To Rise Further
Recently, the security analysts at the NCC group shed light on a new hack with which they can easily dodge the security protection features with the help of Bluetooth Low Energy relay. Bluetooth low energy technology is not just confined to cars but can also be seen in mobile phones, laptops, and smart security locks.
The NCC group gave an overview of how the system can be cheated. It was revealed that the two-way communication between the car and the remote it is connected to can be manipulated in such a way that the car may feel like the attacker sent their signal from right next to it.
Thus, a relay attack is initiated at the link layer level. It can not only carry forward the link layer PDU, but also highlight any changes made to the connection. This is probably why the security system was not able to cope with this attack.
One of the senior security consultants of NCC group, Sultan Qasim Khan, explained that only 10 seconds are enough to get the job done and since BLE is used in the model Y and Model 3 of Tesla, both these cars are at risk.
When Tesla was informed about the limitations, they responded that the company is aware of this scenario and is working to get it fixed. As for the users, they can take two possible steps. Either they can turn off the BLE protection or they can use another method for verification that can’t be completed with a physical interaction from the device owner.
Using an ultra-wide band instead of Bluetooth could be an answer to this situation as well. Meanwhile, Tesla car users are asked to use password or pin protection to ensure no one can get inside. Lastly, if the cell phone is linked with the vehicle’s passive entry feature, turning off this link can also prevent the attackers from getting access to the vehicle.
Read next: The Number Of Houses Around The World With Smart Devices Is Expected To Rise Further
