Fiat Chrysler automotive will recall roughly 1.4 million vehicles after it was discovered that hackers were able to remotely take control of a Jeep Cherokee SUV through vulnerabilities in its built-in software.
According to a a report in USA Today, Fiat announced the recall under government pressure and will include a software update that will prevent hackers from controlling any of the cars’ functions remotely. Only U.S. vehicles will be affected by the recall.
The vulnerability in the Cherokee’s software was first reported in Wired magazine, which detailed how two software experts were able to manipulate many of the cars functions from miles away. According to Wired, the hacker’s code is
“an automaker’s nightmare . . . that lets hackers send commands through the Jeep’s entertainment system to its dashboard functions, steering, brakes, and transmission, all from a laptop that may be across the country.”
Fiat (FCAU) says that there have been no injuries, as far as it is aware, as a result of the software vulnerability. The recall, according to USA Today, will affect the following models:
- 2013-2015 Dodge Vipers
- 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups
- 2013-2015 Ram 3500, 4500, 5500 Chassis Cabs
- 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs
- 2014-2015 Dodge Durango SUVs
- 2015 MY Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans
- 2015 Dodge Challenger sports coupes