Tesla hackers explain how they did it
It is very difficult and to hack a Tesla Model S, but it's not impossible. Last week, researchers Kevin Mahaffey and Marc Rogers demonstrated that they were able to remotely unlock the Model S' doors, start the vehicle and drive away. They were also able to issue a "kill" command to a Model S to shut down the vehicle's systems, bringing it to a stop. Then, at this weekend's the DEF CON 23 digital security conference, they showed all in attendance how they did it.
The researchers chose the Model S because they believe that the "Tesla Model S is an archetype for what all cars will look like in the future." As that archetype, Mahaffey and Rogers found the Model S to be well designed and secure. In fact, almost 40 minutes of their 50 minute talk was devoted to the many dead ends that they ran into when attempting to crack the Tesla.
The process began with procuring a Model S from a private party and carefully taking the dashboard apart to get at the electronics inside. With the silicon laid bare, they found a pair of removable SD cards (one for map data and one for the file system), a USB header, a set of diagnostics ports, and a mysterious proprietary cable.
