Chrysler Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles After Jeep Hacking Demo

Today, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million vehicles possibly affected by a vulnerability in the UConnect infotainment system that could allow attackers to hijack the vehicle's steering and braking. Car hacking researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller demonstrated proof of concept in striking fashion, when they wirelessly took control of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee driven by Wiredreporter Andy Greenberg and brought it from 70 mph to a screeching halt.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching an investigation to determine the effectiveness of Fiat Chrysler's recall.

As Dark Reading's Kelly Jackson Higgins wrote yesterday in an interview with Valasek:

Miller and Valasek were able to control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee's steering, braking, high beams, turn signals, windshield wipers and fluid, and door locks, as well as reset the speedometer and tachometer, kill the engine, and disengage the transmission so the accelerator pedal failed.

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