Hackers Remotely Kill a Jeep on the Highway—With Me in It

While driving at 70 mph near downtown St. Louis, I felt the effects of the exploit taking hold. Without any input from me, the vents in the Jeep Cherokee suddenly started blowing cold air at full force, causing the sweat on my back to chill. The radio switched to a local hip hop station and began playing Skee-lo loudly. Despite my attempts to adjust the settings, including turning off the power, the windshield wipers activated and sprayed wiper fluid, obscuring my view.

As I tried to manage these unexpected actions, a picture of the hackers responsible for these tricks, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, appeared on the car's display screen. They were wearing their signature track suits, adding a humorous touch to the situation.

The unusual behavior of the Jeep wasn't entirely surprising, as I had agreed to be Miller and Valasek's test subject for their car-hacking research. They had developed a zero-day exploit capable of wirelessly targeting Jeep Cherokees, granting the attacker remote control over various functions like entertainment systems, steering, brakes, and transmission. This nightmare scenario for automakers involved hackers sending commands through the Jeep’s entertainment system via the Internet, all controlled from a laptop miles away.

To simulate the experience of being in a vehicle hijacked by unseen forces, Miller and Valasek deliberately kept their attack plans secret. They assured me that the hacks wouldn't pose any life-threatening risks and instructed me to drive onto the highway without panicking.

As the hackers manipulated the air-conditioning, radio, and wipers remotely, I tried to stay calm but soon faced a terrifying moment when the transmission was cut off. The accelerator stopped responding, causing the Jeep to slow down drastically, especially as I approached an overpass with no shoulder for safety. With cars honking behind me and a looming 18-wheeler in my rearview mirror, panic started to set in.

Despite the chaos, Miller and Valasek's work shed light on critical vulnerabilities in automotive security, prompting discussions about digital security standards and the need for immediate action from carmakers and regulatory bodies. The potential consequences of such exploits highlight the urgent need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures in modern vehicles.