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Chinese Find Obvious Tesla Model S Security Flaw

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Tesla Model S security flawA group of Chinese hacker reported that the Model S has a security flaw. We say, welcome to reality. Any system that is connected, whether physical or wireless, has a potential security flaw.

Model S has a security flaw

The Tesla Model S security flaw is making its round lately. It has to make you wonder when reports on security exploits related to computer systems appear. Modern computers, including cars and their wireless technologies have many open ports and channels. A long, long time ago, when I was learning about Novell servers, (yes, I’m that old) my teacher taught me that a truly un-hackable computer is one without a mouse, keyboard or Internet connection. It helped to understand that once a port is open, either with a keyboard of wireless connection, even if secured, there is still a potential vulnerability.

The Model S open connections mean potential security flaw

The Model S is not really a car. It’s more of a future template of what every car will soon look like. It is more of a rolling computer on wheels, which handles quite well. But the Tesla Model S is always connected, either to Tesla Motors, or the Internet, as well as many other types communication is happening. What this means is that the Model S is, by definition, as vulnerable as its weakest point in the security chain. So is it any wonder to hear that the Model S, the most Internet-connected and remotely-connected electric vehicle (EV) on the market today, has a major security flaw? It shouldn’t. Anything connected cars, even Tesla’s Model S means it can be hacked and has security flaws.

According to TransportEvolved, Sina Weibo announced a Chinese Internet security company called Qihoo 360, found Tesla Model S security flaw. This is one of the most common security issue with anything connected and it means a crafty hacker can remotely access and unlock your Tesla Model S, as well as sound the horns, use the headlights, wipers, and even the panoramic sunroof. Are you scared yet? At the very least, if it rains, you might get annoyed.

Making sense of the Tesla Model S security flaw

Once we take a few steps back, we can see a pattern emerging from this Tesla Model S security flaw news. First, it was announced a day before one of the biggest security conference in China, the 2014 SyScan +360. Add to this that the conference is awarding a $10,000 prize to whoever successfully hacks into a Tesla Model S, and you get a better picture of what is happening. The Tesla Motors Model S is as secured as can be, and will continue to be more secured as each individual security flaws are discovered.

Tesla Motors was quick to reassure us with the following: “While Tesla is not associated with the conference and is not a sponsor of the competition, we support the idea of providing an environment in which responsible security researchers can help identify potential vulnerabilities. We hope that the security researchers will act responsibly and in good faith.” Whether open or closed sources, nothing is 100% secured if it is connected.

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But joking apart, news of the Tesla Model S security flaw is a welcome relief in a world of over-confidence and side-blinders. In the meantime, as user and hacker feedback rolls in, Tesla will rewrite some APIs and take a closer look at some of the certificates it uses. So far, if sounding your horn, opening your doors and sunroof are the biggest threats, we can say that the latest Tesla Motors Model S security flaw is only a potential… so far.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm

ISS said the size of the pay package will enable Musk to have access to “extraordinarily high pay opportunities over the next ten years,” and it will have an impact on future packages because it will “reduce the board’s ability to meaningfully adjust future pay levels.”

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, which was proposed by the company last month, has hit its first bit of adversity from proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).

Musk has called the firm “ISIS,” a play on its name relating it to the terrorist organization, in the past.

The pay package aims to lock in Musk to the CEO role at Tesla for the next decade, as it will only be paid in full if he is able to unlock each tranche based on company growth, which will reward shareholders.

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However, the sum is incredibly large and would give Musk the ability to become the first trillionaire in history, based on his holdings. This is precisely why ISS is advising shareholders to vote against the pay plan.

The group said that Musk’s pay package will lock him in, which is the goal of the Board, and it is especially important to do this because of his “track record and vision.”

However, it also said the size of the pay package will enable Musk to have access to “extraordinarily high pay opportunities over the next ten years,” and it will have an impact on future packages because it will “reduce the board’s ability to meaningfully adjust future pay levels.”

The release from ISS called the size of Musk’s pay package “astronomical” and said its design could continue to pay the CEO massive amounts of money for even partially achieving the goals. This could end up in potential dilution for existing investors.

If Musk were to reach all of the tranches, Tesla’s market cap could reach up to $8.5 trillion, which would make it the most valuable company in the world.

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Tesla has made its own attempts to woo shareholders into voting for the pay package, which it feels is crucial not only for retaining Musk but also for continuing to create value for shareholders.

Tesla launched an ad for Elon Musk’s pay package on Paramount+

Musk has also said he would like to have more ownership control of Tesla, so he would not have as much of an issue with who he calls “activist shareholders.”

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Tesla is adding an interesting feature to its centerscreen in a coming update

In a recent dissection of coding, Tesla hacker green noticed that the company is bringing in screenshare with Software Update 2025.38

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is adding an interesting feature to its center touchscreen in a coming update, according to a noted hacker.

In a recent dissection of coding, Tesla hacker green noticed that the company is bringing in screenshare with Software Update 2025.38. Details on the use case are slim, but he said the feature would export the car screen so it could be viewed remotely.

It would bring up a notification on the screen, along with a four-digit pin that would link the two together:

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As previously mentioned, the use case is unclear, but there are some ideas. One of which is for remote support, which is something Apple has used to help resolve issues with its products.

Support staff and employees routinely tap into customers’ screens to help resolve issues, so this could be a way Tesla could also use it.

This seems especially relevant with Robotaxi, as the screen might be a crucial part of resolving customer complaints when there is no employee in the car.

Additionally, it seems as if it will not be exclusive to those owners who have newer vehicles that utilize the AMD chip. Intel will get support with the new feature as well, according to what green has noticed in the coding.

Finally, it could also be used with all sorts of content creation, especially as Full Self-Driving videos and what the vehicle sees in Driver Visualization.

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As it is released, Tesla will likely release more information regarding what the screensharing mode will be used for.

For right now, many owners are wondering where it could actually work and what advantages it will offer for owners as well as the company itself.

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SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver almost looked like it was AI-generated.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX has shared a video of a remarkable feat achieved by Starship’s Super Heavy booster during its 11th flight test.

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver, which was captured on video, almost looked like it was AI-generated.

Super Heavy’s picture perfect hover

As could be seen in the video shared by SpaceX, Starship’s Super Heavy booster, which is nearly 400 feet tall, smoothly returned to Earth and hovered above the Gulf of America for a few seconds before it went for its soft water landing. The booster’s picture-perfect maneuver before splashing down all but capped a near-flawless mission for Starship, which is about to enter its V3 era with Flight 12.

The booster’s balance and stability were so perfect that some users on X joked that the whole thing looked AI-generated. Considering the size of Super Heavy, as well as the fact that the booster was returning from space, the hovering display all but showed that SpaceX is dead serious about keeping its dominant lead in the spaceflight sector.

Starship V2’s curtain call

As noted in a Space.com report, Flight Test 11 achieved every major goal SpaceX had set for the mission, including deploying Starlink mass simulators, relighting Raptor engines in space, and executing a stable reentry for both the Starship Upper Stage and the Super Heavy booster. The feat also marked the second time a Super Heavy booster has been reflown, a milestone in SpaceX’s quest to make the entire Starship system fully reusable.

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Starship’s V2 vehicle will now give way to the upgraded Starship V3, which is designed for faster turnaround and higher payload capacity. The Starship program is expected to pursue even more aggressive targets in the coming months as well, with Elon Musk stating on social media platform X that SpaceX will attempt a tower catch for Starship Upper Stage as early as spring 2026.

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