A hacker shakes things up

What cars today know about their owners

Subaru's Starlink car software was cracked: security researchers were able to create a comprehensive movement profile using the data extracted.

(Bild: Subaru)

A year ago, IT security researcher Sam Curry bought his mother a Subaru Impreza. The only condition: she had to let him hack the car. He and his colleague Shubham Shah quickly discovered vulnerabilities. These made it possible to unlock the car, activate the horn and start the engine - all remotely. The successful hack raises questions - and not just for Subaru owners.

What was particularly worrying was that the two were able to read the car's location data. They were not only able to see where the car had been, but also where it had driven to in the past year. The location data was so detailed that Curry was able to research his mother's doctor visits, her friends' houses and even her parking spot in front of the church. Curry and his colleague could potentially have tapped into millions of Subaru vehicles around the world - and see the hack as a wake-up call for the entire industry. Vehicle data is not only collected by Subarus ...