DRIVERS have been warned about a ‘deadly’ car theft hack that has been shared on social media.
Hyundai and Kia will issue software updates to owners of 8.3million cars after a method of stealing them circulated on TikTok.
3
3
The “Kia Challenge” revealed that it’s possible to remove the steering column covering on some Hyundai and Kia models by force, exposing a slot that fits a USB-A plug, The Register reported.
Turning the plug activates its ignition, allowing thieves to drive away.
Win a Porsche 911 GT3 for 89p
SUN readers can win a Porsche 911 GT3 plus £2,000 in cash or an £85k cash alternative from 89p with our special discount code
We have teamed up with 7days Performance to offer you a special discounted chance to win the amazing cars this week.
Using the code SUN10, you will get 10p off the normal price of 99p.
Enter the competition HERE
Full terms and conditions can be found here
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Thefts of these vehicles caused at least 14 crashes and eight deaths in the US, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The viral videos on TikTok lead to a huge increase in thefts of vulnerable models in many countries.
And both car-makers have announced that they will update their car software to stop this trend.
Hyundai said that the upgrade would be carried out by dealers and take less than an hour to finish.
A spokesperson from Hyundai informed: “The software upgrade modifies certain vehicle control modules on Hyundai vehicles equipped with standard ‘turn-key-to-start’ ignition systems.
“As a result, locking the doors with the key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an ‘ignition kill’ feature so the vehicles cannot be started when subjected to the popularized theft mode.”
The update will be installed free of charge on vulnerable models and will require a key in the ignition to start the vehicle.
And the software will block the car from being started after the doors have been locked using the key fob remote control.
Kia hasn’t published specific details for its campaign but will likely roll out the fix on a similar timeline.
This fix couldn’t come soon enough, as many owners have lost their insurance coverage due to this issue.
Only cars that use keys are susceptible to the hack.
And press-to-start vehicles – which rely on radio signals from a fob to allow engine start – are immune to the attack because they don’t have the mechanical elements that make this exploit possible.
3
For all the latest Automobiles News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
