A Teenage Security Researcher Claims to Have Hacked Tesla Vehicles

For Tesla investors, the day has been such an unexpected beginning. In his Twitter profile, a youngster claiming to be a 19-year-old security specialist and hacker claims to have hacked a number of Tesla automobiles. This teenage German cybersecurity enthusiast claims to have “complete remote control” of over 25 Tesla automobiles in 13 countries, including Switzerland. It isn’t the first suspected Tesla auto hack, but it may be the first by a single teenager. 

The software issue, according to David Colombo, allows him to open doors and windows, start automobiles without keys, and disable security systems. Colombo also claimed to be able to detect the presence of a driver, activate the vehicles’ audio systems, and flash their headlights.

On Twitter, Colombo commented, “I believe it’s quite unsafe if someone can remotely blast music at full volume or open the windows/doors while you’re on the freeway. Even continuously flashing the lights has the potential to have some (dangerous) influence on other drivers,”. Colombo called Tesla to inform them of the purported problem, but he said it was not caused by a cybersecurity fault in the cars.  “This is not a flaw in Tesla’s infrastructure,” Colombo wrote. “It’s the owners’ faults,” says the narrator.

While Colombo’s purported access would allow him to send a video to the owners of the hacked automobiles through YouTube to inform them of the problem, he refused to do so. Tesla’s security team acknowledged to Colombo on Tuesday that they are examining his concerns and would keep him updated on their findings. Colombo is presently composing a report on the incident, which he will send to MITRE.