Audi, Mercedes and BMW – hackers unlock special features for cars
Created: 2022-12-16, 3:49 p.m
By: Dominik Jahn
At manufacturers such as Audi, Mercedes or BMW, hackers are increasingly trying to circumvent a new business model by illegally activating additional car features.
The fact that the car manufacturer Audi has a difficult future in the large VW group has not only been clear since the statements on the bankruptcy statements from the board level, as
echo24.de
reported.
The increasingly frequent "hacker attacks" on various models could also become problematic.
Paid features have been activated by hackers on request for some time.
It was only in November that Mercedes stated that they initially wanted to introduce a paywall for more speed in the USA.
$1,200 for more power.
BMW had previously announced in the middle of the year that some extras for certain vehicles can only be activated when a subscription is taken out.
This is now a common method at Tesla too.
Hackers unlock paid features
As now the portal "efahrer.com", from the house of the technology magazine "Chip", writes, a community of hackers who have been unlocking functions in BMWs for years, told "Vice Motherboard" that
"they are happy to To help owners unlock certain subscriptions for free"
.
A fact that other car manufacturers such as Audi and Mercedes should not like at all.
Company: | Audi |
|---|---|
Headquarters: | Ingolstadt |
Founding: | July 16, 1909, Zwickau |
umbrella organization: | Volkswagen AG |
CEO: | Markus Duesmann (April 1, 2020–) |
24Rhein also reports on tuners who use chip tuning to unlock previously disabled engine performance and unlock functions for small amounts.
Manufacturers warn that warranty claims will expire
As "efahrer.com" writes, the hackers sometimes work as entire entrepreneurs who
"offer the activation of certain functions such as Android screen mirroring in the cockpit screen or the switching off of annoying warning tones as a service"
.
In a report by “Auto, Motor und Sport”, the hackers argue that someone who has paid for a car is also the owner and can do with it as they wish.
Manufacturers such as Audi, Mercedes or BMW therefore argue with
"a possible lapse of warranty claims"
.