Security firm probes reports of car viruses
Antivirus companies are researching reports that computer viruses have attacked the onboard computers of cars.
Kaspersky Labs was contacted last weekend by a user asking how to disinfect the onboard computers of several Lexus cars -- the LX470, LS430 and Landcruiser 100. The user said that the infection occurred via a mobile phone.
Some mobile phone viruses already exist, such as Cabir and Skulls which spread by Bluetooth and infect handsets based on the Symbian operating system. Many Lexus cars include a navigation system that can connect to a mobile phone over Bluetooth to allow hands-free calls, and Kaspersky believes that Bluetooth could be used to transmit a virus to a car's GPS navigation system.
However, it is unclear which operating system Lexus uses for its navigation system. The company had not responded for requests for comment at the time of writing.
"We know that car manufacturers are integrating existing operating systems into their onboard computers -- take the Fiat and Microsoft deal, for instance," said Eugene Kaspersky, head of antivirus research at Kaspersky Labs. "If infected mobile devices are scary, just think about an infected onboard computer."
