It seems the news regarding vehicle hacking continues to get worse, especially when it comes to products from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Last year, a Jeep Cherokee in St. Louis, Missouri, was wirelessly hacked from Pittsburgh. Nissan had to shut down its Leaf app because of vulnerabilities. Now, a pair of hackers in Houston, Texas, stole more than 30 Jeeps over a six-month period. The two were arrested by police last Friday while attempting to steal another vehicle, Auto Blog reported.
Police had been following Michael Arcee and Jesse Zelay for several months but were unable to catch them in the act until now. The two were using a laptop to connect to and start a vehicle. The thieves were able to access Fiat Chrysler›s own DealerCONNECT software. After entering the vehicle identification number, the hackers were able to reprogram the cars› security systems to accept a generic key, according to The Houston Chronicle. Additionally, Automotive News reported that FCA subsequently updated the terms of use for its DealerCONNECT program.
In April, a surveillance video showed the theft of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It was this footage that first led the police to Arcee and Zelay.
