A duo of security researchers, Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry of Mysk Inc, have revealed a startling security floor in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) electric vehicles that exploits user error to enable hackers to quite literally steal a car.
Using social engineering and a relatively cheap piece of hardware, the two researchers were able to hack Mysk’s own Tesla remotely, creating a digital key without ever having interacted with or touched the car directly.
Gizmodo reports that Mysk tested the method on his own vehicle multiple times, using a freshly reset iPhone that had never been paired with the car previously. He says it worked every time.
So how did they do it?
The two activist hackers posted a YouTube video explaining the methodology, although they’re careful to stress they tested the method strictly for research purposes, and that they do not condone stealing cars.
In simple terms, Mysk and Bakry are taking advantage of courtesy Wi-Fi provided at most Tesla charging stations that offer free internet.
Named 'Tesla Guest' at every station, customers can use their Tesla credentials connected to their car to log into the network and access the internet while they wait for their vehicle to charge.
Using a hacking tool, Mysk and Bakry create a fake version of 'Tesla Gues' Wi-Fi, which takes the victim to a website visually identical to the usual Wi-Fi log-in credentials website used by Tesla.
When victims enter their details, the hackers can steal their username, password, and two-factor authentication code directly from the duplicate site.
The hacker must then enter the credentials along with the two-factor code (which is a legitimate code generated by Tesla’s system) before it expires.
From there, they are able to make a digital key completely remotely – as long as they’re within a certain distance of the car, the physical key is unnecessary, and the driver is not alerted to the new digital key’s creation at all.
The hacker then has the option of either stealing the car on the spot or use the Tesla app to track the victim to their home or place of work, where the car can then be taken at their leisure.
“This means with a leaked email and password, an owner could lose their Tesla vehicle. This is insane,” Tommy Mysk said.
“Phishing and social engineering attacks are very common today, especially with the rise of AI technologies, and responsible companies must factor in such risks in their threat models.”
According to Mysk, Tesla responded that it had investigated and found the feature was working as intended when he reported it.
The Tech giant rarely responds to requests for comment, and this instance has been no different.