Due to a software glitch, Jaguar Land Rover car manufacturer has recalled over 65,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs manufactured from 2013 up until now, as reported by BBC. The software bug which can make Land Rover’s doors unlock themselves has put in risk all car owners as thieves can break-in Range Rover’s central locking system and by using a blank key they can unlock and start the car in no time.
A spokesman for Thatcham Research, said that the manufacturers have been working hard in order to fix this problem, and that all the manufacturers are close to ‘introducing preventative measures.’ “It's been known for over a year that keyless entry and ignition systems possess certain vulnerabilities. [...] There were a number of vehicles suggested as being vulnerable in this way, Range Rovers being one of them. [...] That was all to do with keyless entry systems and vulnerabilities through the onboard diagnostic port,” he added.
In a statement, Land Rover declared that so far, no accidents or injuries cause by the software bug were reported and that all Range Rover owners won’t have to pay for their car’s fixes.
Back in February 2015, English auto-maker Jaguar had to recall over 61,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport cars manufactured between 2012 to 2015 due to another software bug that, according to Fortune, ‘led to passenger-side airbags not deploying correctly on impact.’
This February 2.2 million BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce cars were also prone to being stolen by thieves who could hack the Connected Drive technology and open the vehicle’s doors. Recently, “Ford recalled 432,000 automobiles because of a glitch that resulted in drivers being unable to turn off their car engines. In June, Acura had to recall roughly 48,000 vehicles because of a software bug that caused automatic car-braking systems to malfunction,” according to Fortune.
Other car manufacturers that have been facing similar problems are Ford Focus and Fiestas, Audis, etc. According to a report called ‘Tracking & Hacking: Security & Privacy Gaps Put American Drivers at Risk,’ published earlier this year by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, “you no longer do you need a crowbar in order to break into a car, now you can do it with an iPad.”
“The recall is sensible. It’s positive to see automotive firms taking the proper steps to address evolving criminal threats. Vehicle crime, like so many other things, is going digital,” said BT Security president Mark Hughes. “The challenge is that systems are now getting connected that were not originally designed for that purpose. There is a need to carefully test vehicles, identify possible vulnerabilities and fix them before criminals exploit them. We believe there’s a need to adopt established methods from the IT industry, like ethical hacking, for connected cars,” Hughes added.
Jaguar Range Rover recall is expected to start on August 7, 2015.
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