Mazda Connect Systems Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

imagine for a second you're driving down a highway minding your own business when suddenly your car starts to act strange your brakes fail your steering wheel locks up and you're at the mercy of a malicious attacker sounds like something out of a movie right well it could be a scary reality for some car owners find out how in this latest video hey everybody welcome back to ecurity Planet your go-to channel for all things cyber security I'm I'm your host Davin Jackson today we're going to be talking about a serious security issue that could potentially put you and your loved ones at risk recent reports have revealed critical vulnerabilities in Mazda vehicles that could allow attacker to potentially hack and hijack your car mazas are popular for the reliability and Sleek designs however a recent report by security researchers details multiple vulnerabilities in Mazda connect systems that could allow attackers to install persistent malware on affected Vehicles the Mazza connect system is the info tainment unit in various Mazda models including the Mazda 3 from 2014 to 2021 according to the report several vulnerabilities within the Mazda connect connectivity Master unit or the CMU were discovered leaving millions of vehicles at risk if you don't know today's cars are essentially computers on Wheels with the cam bus being a vital communication system within it cam buses facilitate the data exchange between various electronic components including the engine control unit brakes and even the airbag bags security researchers from Tren mic Ro zero day initiative identified several critical security issues including command injection flaws that if exploited could lead to attackers gaining unrestricted access to a vehicle's network with this level of access attackers could manipulate the car's operation and Safety Systems potentially leading to really dangerous situations what makes this even scarier is that the report highlights that Maza has been notified and still has not yet released a software update to address these V abilities at the time of this recording now if I had to guess why it's probably because the vulnerability requires an attacker to physically insert a USB with the exploits to the center console making exploitation a little more difficult but this still leaves millions of miles of vehicles susceptible to potential attacks Dustin Childs the head of threat awareness at the zero day initiative said that quote the worst case scenario would be an attack or impacting the driving characteristics of the car rendering it unsafe to operate statements like this from someone is knowledgeable as Dustin is why we hope Mazda will prioritize developing and releasing a software update to address these security flaws soon although all the vulnerabilities have been published the specific details on how they're exploited have not been disclosed to the public in hopes that it will prevent exploitation by other malicious attackers however the longer these vulnerabilities go unpatched the greater the risk is that someone may go looking for these vehicles and they won't be as ethical as the security researchers another reason why Mazda needs to release a pack patch as soon as possible so what can you do until a patch is available well we provided some recommendations to help you mitigate your risk first and foremost avoid connecting any unknown devices to the Mazza connect system this includes USB drives smartphones and other devices next be cautious when using the internet through the Mazza connect system avoid visiting any untrusted websites or downloading files from unknown sources lastly stay informed about updates keep an eye on Mazda's official channels for announcements regarding a software update that will address these vulnerabilities now this last tip is especially important because it's crucial for car owners that are affected to stay informed about the latest security updates and patches for your Mazda make sure to check Mazda's official website and also call your local Mazda dealership for the latest information let us know in the comments if you think Mazda should move quickly or if you have any other questions or concerns thanks for watching today's video if you found it helpful please give it a thumbs up and remember to subscribe to the ecurity planet YouTube Channel also check out the cyber security Insider newsletter for more security news and tips sent directly to your inbox every week thanks again for watching I'm Davin Jackson We security planet and until next time stay informed stay secure and stay safe

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