Remember the Tesla Model S hacking contest? Well, it didn’t take long before someone managed to hack into the electric sedan. As a matter of fact, the day the contest started Internet security company Qihoo 360 Technology Co said it found ways to remotely control the Model S’ locks, horn, headlights and sunroof while the car is in motion.
The Chinese company announced this via a posting on its Sina Weibo account – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Wu Jing, a director of investor relations for the company, said its information technology department conducted the experiment, but didn’t elaborate. It didn’t take long for Tesla Motors to comment on the issue, with the company saying it will investigate and correct any vulnerabilities discovered during the contest.
“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,” Tesla told Bloomberg in an e-mailed statement.
The company added that it will investigate and take immediate action to rectify any “legitimate vulnerability” identified in its electric vehicle. However, Tesla asked security researchers to report potential vulnerabilities in accordance with its policy and not to hack its website, servers and networks.
The SyScan +360 conference offers $10,000 to anyone who successfully hacks into the Model S.
By Dan Mihalascu
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