A car alarm vendor’s coding mistake has left millions of vehicles vulnerable to theft and location tracking. Thanks to the way dealers sell car alarms, many affected drivers don’t even know they have one installed.
The device is the KARR Security System, a Bluetooth-enabled aftermarket alarm built by Acrisure Protection Group. It’s installed by dealers, primarily at Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, and Jeep dealerships in Southern California.
Aftermarket car alarms are a strange corner of the auto industry. Dealers install them in your car before you ever see the vehicle, then try to sell you the subscription afterward. Say no and the hardware still stays put. According to researchers at the University of California San Diego, KARR systems are installed in about 2.2 million American vehicles, and around half of owners don’t even know they’re there.
Read more…
Source: MalwareBytes Labs
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Court Documents Reveal How Feds Spied On Connected Cars For 15 Years
January 16, 2017
It’s not always necessary to break into your computer or smartphone to spy on you. Today all are day-to-day devices are becoming more connected to networks than ever to add convenience and ease to daily activities. But here’s what we forget: These connected devices can be turned against us because we are giving companies, hackers, and ...