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Details Behind the Tesla Model S Hack

Two researchers broke into the software of a Tesla recently. But there is good news behind the Tesla Model S hack. A fix was sent to all cars within days.

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Tesla Model S hack

Tesla Model S infotainment system also serves as the command center to the vehicle.

Last week, Marc Rogers, of content delivery network CloudFlare, and Lookout Mobile Security co-founder Kevin Mahaffey completed a digital break-in of a Tesla. But here’s the good news behind the Tesla Model S hack. Tesla quickly released an over-the-air firmware update, to every Model S ever manufactured, that would resolve the security holes uncovered by Rogers and Mahaffey.

The Tesla Hack

Rogers and Mahaffey had to dismantle the dashboard to gain access to an ethernet port. From there, they were able to connect directly to the CAN bus, the controller area network across which car data is sent and received.

After that, they chained together four separate vulnerabilities, first to gain access to the infotainment systems and then the touchscreen used to control vehicle functions. That let them make the speedometer disappear, alter the suspension, unlock the doors and the trunk, and make the windows go up and down. They were also able to shut down the car’s electric motor below 5 mph.

Above that speed, the dashboard screens would go blank but the car would shift into neutral, giving the driver time to find a safe place to bring the car to a stop. “Ironically, that means it’s the only car that can protect itself against a successful cyber attack,” Rogers noted.

Tesla’s Response

“Tesla has taken a number of different measures to address the effects of all six vulnerabilities reported by Lookout. And, we continue to develop further ways to harden our systems, informed by ongoing discussions with the security research community, as well as our own internal analysis. The update has been made available to all Model S customers through an OTA update. We will deploy this update to all vehicles by Thursday,” a spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to Forbes.

Other auto manufacturers are following in Tesla’s footsteps by making internet updates available for their upcoming line of vehicles, but are starting years behind Tesla.

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Rogers and Mahaffey say they also found two potential browser vulnerabilities that they exposed but did not exploit. Those flaws, resident in the WebKit browser engine, could possibly have enabled remote attacks, but Tesla’s new firmware update has resolved those issues as well.

Tesla CTO Toasts Hackers

While Rogers and Mahaffey were explaining their hacks at Def Con 23 last Friday, Tesla CTO J. B. Straubel made a surprise appearance to offer them a toast and personally thank them for their work. J.B. presented the duo with “Challenge Coins,” which will Tesla will be giving to any researcher who finds a serious security hole in their vehicles.

Tesla's approach to distribute vulnerability and feature updates through over-the-air technology, similar to how one updates software on their mobile device, clearly puts it steps ahead of other automakers.

Chris Evans, who previously worked on Google’s elite Project Zero research team, became head of digital security at Tesla this past week. He was involved in the software update that the company has now sent to all customers. “This gives me really high hopes with Tesla going forward," says Mahaffey. “I would like to see what they’ve done as a reference model for others. I think they’ve got lessons to learn but they’re 75 per cent there."

As cars acquire more digital capability, the opportunities for outside interference either by "white hat" hackers or those bent on doing actual harm will increase. Tesla, though, has the most robust program for identifying and resolving digital security issues of any manufacturer. That commitment should give every Tesla owner and prospective owner a full measure of confidence in the integrity of Tesla automobiles, now and in the future.

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Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be a challenge for one company

Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.

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Credit: MarcoRP | X

Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be quite the challenge for one company, as it continues to delay the date that it will enable its owners to charge at the most expansive network in the world.

Tesla Superchargers have been opening up to other brands for well over a year, and many car companies that are manufacturing electric vehicles now have access to the vast network that has over 70,000 locations worldwide.

Tesla to launch Supercharger access for VW owners later this year

However, one brand has experienced some issues with what it is calling “technical challenges,” specifically failing to enable cross-compatibility between its vehicles and Tesla Superchargers.

Volkswagen has had to delay its ability to enable customers to charge at Superchargers because there have been some difficulties getting things to run smoothly. A report from PCMag cites a quote from a Volkswagen spokesperson who said there are still plans to deliver this year, but there have been some delays:

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“Volkswagen looks forward to making it possible for ID. Buzz and ID.4 vehicle owners to gain access to the Tesla NACS Partner Superchargers. The timeline has been delayed by technical challenges, and we ask for customers’ patience. We still expect to deliver access this year.”

Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.

Volkswagen EV owners will need to use an official VW adapter to access the Tesla Supercharger Network once the issues are resolved. It still plans to launch access to its owners later this year, but its spokesperson did not announce any planned timeline.

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Tesla Giga Berlin makes big move amid strong sales and demand

“We currently have very good sales figures and have therefore revised our production plans for the third and fourth quarters upwards.”

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing

Tesla is making a big move at its factory in Germany, known as Giga Berlin, as managers at the plant have indicated the company plans to increase its production rate for the remainder of the year.

Giga Berlin is responsible for manufacturing Model Y vehicles for several markets worldwide, including those outside of Europe. It was opened in March 2022, and it recently built its 500,000th Model Y in March and its 100,000th new Model Y just three weeks ago.

Due to some encouraging sales figures in the markets it provides vehicles for, Tesla said it is planning to increase production at the factory for the remainder of the year.

Andrè Thierig, plant manager at Giga Berlin, said to German news outlet DPA on Sunday that market data has encouraged a move to be made regarding the production at the factory:

“We currently have very good sales figures and have therefore revised our production plans for the third and fourth quarters upwards.”

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It is interesting to see this kind of narrative from Thierig, especially as data has shown Tesla has struggled in various markets, including Germany, this year.

Sales drops have been reported, but other markets are holding strong, especially those in Northern Europe, such as Norway, where the Model Y saw a nearly 39 percent increase in sales in August compared to the same month the previous year.

Tesla Model Y leads sales rush in Norway in August 2025

Gigafactory Berlin supplies vehicles for other markets, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which are strategically important to avoid tariffs. It also builds cars for the Middle East.

Thierig reiterated this point during the interview with DPA:

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“We supply well over 30 markets and definitely see a positive trend there.”

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Elon Musk

Tesla analyst says Musk stock buy should send this signal to investors

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish.”

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased roughly $1 billion in Tesla shares on Friday, and analysts are now breaking down the move as the stock is headed upward.

One of them is William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer, who said in a new note to investors on Monday that Musk’s move should send a signal of confidence to stock buyers, especially considering the company’s numerous catalysts that currently exist.

Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever

Dorsheimer said in the note:

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish. This purchase is Musk’s first buy since 2020. To us, this sends a strong signal of confidence in the most important part of Tesla’s future business, robotaxi.”

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Musk putting an additional $1 billion back into the company in the form of more stock ownership is obviously a huge vote of confidence.

He knows more than anyone about the progress Tesla has made and is making on the Robotaxi platform, as well as the company’s ongoing efforts to solve vehicle autonomy. If he’s buying stock, it is more than likely a good sign.

Tesla has continued to expand its Robotaxi platform in a number of ways. The project has gotten bigger in terms of service area, vehicle fleet, and testing population. Tesla has also recently received a permit to test in Nevada, unlocking the potential to expand into a brand-new state for the company.

In the note, Dorsheimer also touched on Musk’s recent pay package, revealing that William Blair recently met with Tesla’s Board of Directors, who gave the firm some more color on the situation:

“We recently participated in a meeting with Tesla’s board of directors to discuss the details of Musk’s performance package. The board is confident of its position in the Delaware case and anticipates a verdict by end of year. It does not expect a similar situation to occur under new Texas jurisdiction. Musk has the board’s full support, and we expect he’ll get more than enough shareholder support for this to pass with flying colors.”

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Tesla stock is up over 6 percent so far today, trading at $421.50 at the time of publication.

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