Researchers at security firm McAfee LLC have discovered two serious vulnerabilities in the telematics control unit used in a range of luxury cars that could potentially allow hackers to gain control of vehicles.

A TCU is an embedded system that controls tracking of the vehicle, and in this case involves a unit manufactured by Continental AG that operates as a 2G modem. It facilitates in-vehicle communication, including data from the car that gets used in remote management tools such as web panels and mobile apps.

The two vulnerabilities include a “buffer overflow” in the TCU’s element that processes commands used to control a modem and another vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute code via one of the TCU’s baseband radio processor components. The first vulnerability would require a hacker to have physical access to the car, but the second one can be exploited from a remote location via a 2G cellular connection.

The risk profile of what attackers could do given access seems fairly limited at this stage. A spokesperson for McAfee told SiliconANGLE via email that “successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code,” before explaining that “this may allow an attacker to disable the infotainment system of the vehicle and affect functional features of the vehicle.”

There is nothing to suggest at this stage that either vulnerability could be used to cause a car to crash. But the McAfee researchers did note that ransomware could be deployed using the vulnerability, potentially disabling operation of the vehicle.

Here’s a list of the affected vehicles:

• BMW several models produced between 2009-2010
• Ford – a limited number of P-HEV hybrid models not updated (an update program began in 2016)
• Infiniti 2013 JX35, 2014-2016 QX60, 2014-2016 QX60 Hybrid, 2014-2015 QX50, 2014-2015 QX50 Hybrid, 2013 M37/M56, 2014-2016 Q70, 2014-2016 Q70L, 2015-2016 Q70 Hybrid, 2013 QX56, 2014-2016 QX 80
• Nissan 2011-2015 Leaf

Owners of these vehicles should contact their car manufacturer for advice on fixing the issue either through patching or a replacement TCU.

Photo: Bontenbal/ Wikimedia Commons