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Automotive Cybersecurity: Why Vehicle Attacks Keep Growing

Modern vehicles are connected computers with safety consequences. Here is why automotive cyberattacks are growing, what attackers target, how regulations are responding, and what owners can do now.
Entry203 Date Time14 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Automotive cyberattacks are growing because vehicles are no longer isolated mechanical products. Modern cars depend on cellular connections, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, companion apps, cloud services, over-the-air updates, supplier software, and increasingly complex driver-assistance and artificial-intelligence systems. Each connection can improve convenience or capability, but it can also create another account, API, device, update path, or software dependency that must be secured.

The important distinction is that this does not mean hackers can routinely take control of any modern car. The more defensible concern is broader: the connected automotive ecosystem has more entry points, more valuable personal and operational data, and more opportunities for one compromise to affect many vehicles, customers, dealerships, fleets, or suppliers at once.

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The latest evidence: more remote and scalable attacks

Upstream Security reported in February 2026 that its 2026 Global Automotive and Smart Mobility Cybersecurity Report analyzed 494 publicly reported incidents from 2025 around the world. Within that dataset, Upstream reported that:

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  • Ransomware-related incidents represented 44% of attacks and were more than double the 2024 volume.
  • Black-hat actors were attributed to 71% of incidents.
  • 92% of incidents were conducted remotely, and 86% required no physical proximity.
  • 67% involved telematics or cloud systems.
  • 68% involved data or privacy breaches.
  • 61% had a potential impact ranging from thousands to millions of mobility assets.

Those figures are a useful indicator of the direction of the threat, but they are not an official worldwide prevalence rate. They describe Upstream’s publicly reported incident dataset and depend on what was disclosed, discovered, and included under its methodology. Undisclosed attacks and incidents classified differently by other researchers will not necessarily appear in the count.

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Upstream also described a reported 2025 incident in which attackers accessed remote vehicle command-and-control systems through a companion application, locked owners out, manipulated functions including ignition and door locks, and demanded payment. That account should be understood as Upstream’s description of the incident, not as independent verification of every detail. It nevertheless illustrates why a cloud or app compromise can matter as much as a direct attack on the vehicle.

The broader structural explanation comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Its vehicle-cybersecurity guidance says that growing connectivity and software complexity create wireless and wired attack surfaces, while safety-critical systems must remain protected from unauthorized access or manipulation. NHTSA recommends layered protection, fast detection and response, resilient vehicle architecture, recovery capabilities, and information sharing through organizations such as the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or Auto-ISAC.

Why connected vehicles have a larger attack surface

An attack surface is the collection of interfaces and components through which an attacker might attempt access, influence, disruption, or data theft. In a modern vehicle, that surface extends well beyond the dashboard and engine control systems.

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1. Telematics, cellular connections, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and vehicle apps

The Bureau of Industry and Security describes vehicle-connectivity systems as including telematics control units, Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi modules. These systems may handle vehicle telemetry, location information, user authentication, remote commands, diagnostics, emergency services, and communication with a manufacturer’s backend.

Companion apps add another layer of identity and authorization. A person may use an app to locate a vehicle, check its status, lock or unlock doors, start it remotely, schedule charging, or share access with another driver. Each function depends on account security, authentication, authorization rules, mobile-app code, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and the vehicle’s own command-handling logic.

Potential weaknesses include reused passwords, account takeover, stolen session tokens, excessive app permissions, insecure APIs, flawed access controls, and mistakes in remote-command workflows. An attacker does not necessarily need to connect directly to a vehicle if a weakness in the account or backend can issue commands on the attacker’s behalf.

This is why a vehicle’s cybersecurity cannot be judged only by asking whether its internal computer network is difficult to reach. The cloud service that authenticates the driver and relays a command may be just as important.

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2. Over-the-air and physical software updates

Software updates are both a necessary defense and a security-sensitive system. A well-designed update can repair a vulnerability across many vehicles without requiring every owner to visit a dealership. However, the update mechanism itself must be protected because an attacker who could impersonate an authorized update service or tamper with update delivery might gain a powerful route into the vehicle ecosystem.

NHTSA identifies firmware-update cybersecurity, including both physical and over-the-air update mechanisms, as an active research area. Secure update systems should be able to:

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  • Authenticate the source and integrity of update packages.
  • Protect the update while it is delivered.
  • Verify that the software is compatible with the specific vehicle and hardware configuration.
  • Prevent an unsafe or incomplete installation.
  • Recover safely if an update fails or is interrupted.
  • Maintain an accurate record of relevant hardware and software versions.
  • Provide a way to respond when a newly discovered vulnerability affects deployed vehicles.

That does not make over-the-air updates inherently unsafe. Quite the opposite: secure OTA capability is an important part of modern vehicle resilience. It does mean that update infrastructure deserves the same careful security engineering as other safety- and privacy-relevant systems.

Owners should install manufacturer updates promptly when they are delivered through official channels. A recall repair and an ordinary software update are not necessarily the same thing. In the United States, NHTSA says safety recall repairs are free through the manufacturer’s dealership. Owners should check both the manufacturer’s update notices and open safety recalls rather than assuming that one replaces the other.

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3. In-vehicle networks and diagnostic interfaces

Electronic control units, commonly called ECUs, exchange information over internal vehicle networks. Controller Area Network, or CAN, remains widely used for communication among safety-relevant and other vehicle systems. Research literature identifies important limitations in traditional CAN designs, including weak native authentication and assumptions that messages inside the network can be trusted.

That does not mean every device plugged into a diagnostic port can instantly control every vehicle. The practical risk depends on the vehicle’s architecture, gateway design, access controls, software versions, physical access, and which systems are connected. But physical access through a diagnostic port, a compromised aftermarket device, or a previously compromised gateway can become relevant to a security investigation.

A generic consumer OBD-II scanner is a diagnostic device, not a cybersecurity defense. It may read trouble codes or vehicle data, but simply owning one does not protect a car from account takeover, cloud compromise, malware, relay theft, or other attacks. Research-grade CAN interfaces and OBD tools can be useful for authorized testing, education, and diagnostics, but probing or manipulating a vehicle network without permission can be unsafe and unlawful.

4. Supply chains and third-party software

A vehicle’s security depends on much more than the automaker’s own engineering team. The ecosystem can include Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, mobile-app developers, cloud providers, semiconductor vendors, logistics companies, charging providers, update-service operators, dealership systems, and fleet-management platforms.

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A weakness in one supplier or shared service can create a concentration of risk. A flaw that affects one vehicle may be serious; a flaw in a common backend, software library, update service, or fleet platform may affect a much larger group of vehicles or organizations.

UN Regulation No. 155 places responsibility on vehicle manufacturers for cybersecurity across the supply chain and vehicle lifecycle. ISO/SAE 21434 likewise frames cybersecurity engineering as a lifecycle activity, extending from concept and development through production, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. The principle is straightforward: security cannot be added only at the end of vehicle development or delegated entirely to the supplier that happens to provide one component.

In the United States, the Department of Commerce issued a final rule on January 14, 2025, addressing certain connected-vehicle supply-chain risks involving hardware and software with a sufficient nexus to China or Russia. The rule covers vehicle-connectivity hardware and software and automated-driving software. It initially applies to passenger vehicles under 10,001 pounds, with software-related prohibitions beginning for Model Year 2027 and hardware-related prohibitions beginning for Model Year 2030, or January 1, 2029, for units without a model year. These are U.S. regulatory dates and should not be generalized to other countries or vehicle categories.

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5. APIs, software-defined vehicles, and artificial intelligence

Software-defined vehicles rely on centralized computing, cloud services, APIs, frequent updates, and data flows that can change throughout the vehicle’s life. This architecture can make it easier to add features and distribute fixes, but it also creates more dependencies to inventory, authenticate, monitor, and maintain.

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Artificial intelligence adds another developing layer. AI may support driver assistance, personalization, predictive maintenance, customer-service systems, security monitoring, or fleet operations. It may also introduce model-serving infrastructure, new data pipelines, dynamic interfaces, and additional third-party services. Upstream describes AI as a dual-use force: it can expand the attack surface while potentially helping attackers automate reconnaissance, fraud, or other activity at scale.

AI is an emerging risk area, not proof that it is already the leading cause of vehicle compromises. The sensible approach is to treat AI-enabled functions as part of the vehicle’s overall threat model, with clear controls around data, access, model integrity, service availability, and human override.

What automotive cyberattacks can affect

The consequences of an automotive cyber incident fall into several overlapping categories. The same event can affect privacy, availability, business operations, and safety.

Impact area What may be affected Why it matters
Confidentiality and privacy Location histories, account information, vehicle telemetry, personal information, and potentially audio or visual data Revealed travel patterns, identity information, routines, or business-sensitive data can create risks beyond the vehicle itself.
Operational continuity Dealerships, manufacturing plants, suppliers, logistics, fleet platforms, charging services, and enterprise systems Ransomware or backend disruption can stop work even when no vehicle is physically damaged.
Vehicle availability and access Remote unlock, remote start, digital keys, charging functions, or vehicle-related services Owners or fleet drivers may be locked out or unable to use connected functions.
Safety and physical control Safety-critical electronic systems or functions that influence vehicle behavior A successful exploit affecting a safety-critical system could alter vehicle behavior or disable protective functions.

It is important to separate demonstrated access from worst-case potential. A reported compromise of an app account does not automatically prove that an attacker could steer a vehicle. Conversely, the fact that a full takeover is difficult does not make a privacy breach, fleet outage, or lockout unimportant. Risk assessment must consider the actual pathway, the privileges obtained, the affected vehicle architecture, and the consequences that are realistically reachable.

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How governments and engineers are responding

NHTSA: layered, risk-based vehicle cybersecurity

NHTSA’s approach emphasizes identifying and protecting safety-critical systems, detecting and responding to incidents, designing for resilience and recovery, and sharing threat intelligence. Its published research areas include anomaly-based intrusion detection, firmware-update security, heavy-vehicle cybersecurity, vehicle-to-vehicle communication parser development, and testing of vehicle electronic architectures.

This is a layered model rather than a single security product. Protection may include secure design, segmentation, authentication, encryption where appropriate, monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response, recovery plans, and clear processes for communicating with owners and regulators.

UN Regulations Nos. 155 and 156

UN Regulation No. 155 establishes cybersecurity and cybersecurity-management-system requirements for covered vehicle categories. Its scope includes M and N vehicles, certain O vehicles with electronic control units, and L6/L7 vehicles with Level 3-or-higher automated-driving functionality. It requires a systematic, risk-based approach that includes risk assessment, mitigation, monitoring, incident response, and evidence that the relevant processes work for type approval.

UN Regulation No. 156 addresses software-update management. Together, Regulations Nos. 155 and 156 create a lifecycle framework rather than a one-time checklist. Manufacturers must manage cyber risks, secure vehicles by design, detect and respond to incidents, and deliver software updates safely and securely.

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ISO/SAE 21434 and functional safety

ISO/SAE 21434:2021 defines engineering requirements for cybersecurity risk management in road vehicles. ISO describes it as applying across the lifecycle of electrical and electronic systems. The standard complements ISO 26262, which focuses on functional safety.

Cybersecurity and functional safety are related but different disciplines. Functional safety asks how to reduce unreasonable risk from malfunctioning systems. Cybersecurity asks how to manage intentional misuse, unauthorized access, manipulation, and attack. A secure system must account for both: a malicious actor may try to create a condition that a safety engineer would otherwise analyze only as a random failure.

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What vehicle owners can do now

Owners cannot personally secure every supplier, cloud platform, ECU, or vehicle gateway. They can, however, reduce common account, access, and key-related risks and respond more effectively when a manufacturer reports a problem.

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  1. Install official software updates promptly. Use the manufacturer’s app, vehicle interface, authorized dealer, or other official delivery method. Be cautious of unsolicited messages that request credentials or direct you to an unfamiliar update site.
  2. Use a unique password for the vehicle account. Do not reuse a password from email, banking, social media, or another vehicle service. Enable multifactor authentication if the manufacturer offers it.
  3. Review connected services and app permissions. Pay particular attention to remote unlock, remote start, location sharing, digital keys, charging access, and third-party integrations. Disable services you do not need when the platform allows it.
  4. Remove former drivers and devices. When selling, leasing, returning, or transferring a vehicle, remove former users, shared digital keys, old phones, connected accounts, and third-party services. Follow the manufacturer’s transfer or factory-reset procedure.
  5. Check for open safety recalls. Use NHTSA’s recall system or the vehicle manufacturer’s official recall channel in the United States. A recall repair is separate from routine software maintenance, and NHTSA says qualifying recall repairs are free through the manufacturer’s dealership.
  6. Be selective with aftermarket connectivity. Aftermarket telematics devices, inexpensive Wi-Fi OBD adapters, USB accessories, and unknown charging or diagnostic equipment add another security decision. Use trusted, compatible equipment, keep it updated when applicable, and remove devices that are no longer needed.
  7. Protect passive keyless-entry fobs against relay theft. If the vehicle unlocks when the key fob is nearby, a tested signal-blocking pouch or container can reduce exposure to a specific relay-theft technique. Keep the spare fob protected as well.

Using a Faraday pouch correctly

A relay attack does not require the thief to break into the vehicle’s software. In simplified terms, criminals may use equipment to extend or amplify communication between a passive key fob inside a home and the vehicle outside. Police guidance recommends signal-blocking protection and, importantly, testing it.

A Faraday key fob pouch can be a reasonable, low-cost mitigation for owners with passive keyless entry. Put the everyday fob and spare in the pouch when they are not being used, then test the setup: with the fob sealed inside, stand near the vehicle and verify that the vehicle does not unlock. Repeat the test periodically and after replacing the pouch, because shielding effectiveness can vary with construction, wear, fit, and the vehicle’s keyless system.

The limitation is just as important as the recommendation. A Faraday pouch does not protect against a compromised vehicle app, stolen credentials, malicious software, an infected backend, a CAN-related attack, a stolen physical key, or every form of vehicle theft. It addresses relay theft only.

Guidance for fleets, dealerships, and mobility operators

Fleet operators face a larger blast radius because one account, management platform, or supplier may be connected to many vehicles. In addition to the owner steps above, organizations should:

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  • Maintain an inventory of vehicles, ECUs, connectivity modules, software versions, mobile apps, cloud services, and third-party integrations.
  • Use role-based access so a dispatcher, technician, driver, vendor, and administrator receive only the permissions they need.
  • Require multifactor authentication and promptly remove former employees, contractors, and vendors.
  • Separate fleet-management functions from unrelated corporate systems wherever practical.
  • Monitor unusual login activity, abnormal command patterns, unexpected geographic activity, and sudden changes in vehicle or account behavior.
  • Maintain an incident-response plan covering account lockout, vehicle availability, privacy notification, supplier coordination, law enforcement, and safe recovery.
  • Confirm how vendors handle vulnerability disclosure, security updates, logging, breach notification, data retention, and service restoration.
  • Test recovery procedures instead of assuming that a backup or vendor promise will work during an outage.

For OEMs and suppliers, the engineering challenge is broader still: cybersecurity must be managed from concept through decommissioning, with threat analysis, secure development, supplier oversight, update governance, monitoring, incident response, and evidence that mitigations are effective.

What not to assume

  • “My car is not electric, so this does not apply to me.” Connectivity and software—not propulsion type alone—determine much of the exposure. Gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and electric vehicles can all contain connected systems.
  • “A software update creates more risk than it solves.” An insecure update process can be a target, but secure updating is also one of the most important ways to repair deployed vehicles.
  • “An OBD-II scanner protects my car.” A scanner may help with diagnostics. It is not a protective security control.
  • “A Faraday pouch solves automotive cybersecurity.” It mitigates a specific passive-key relay technique and nothing more.
  • “A theoretical safety impact proves routine remote takeover.” Potential consequences justify strong defenses, but each claim about access and control must be tied to a particular vehicle architecture and documented incident.
  • “One regulation applies everywhere.” NHTSA guidance, UNECE regulations, ISO/SAE 21434, and the U.S. connected-vehicle supply-chain rule have different legal or technical roles, geographic scopes, covered vehicles, and dates.

The practical bottom line

Automotive cybersecurity attacks are growing in significance because the number of connected components, backend services, software dependencies, and valuable data flows is growing. The 2025 incident data reported by Upstream points to a heavily remote threat environment in which telematics, cloud systems, APIs, privacy breaches, and ransomware are prominent parts of the picture.

The right response is neither panic nor complacency. Owners should secure their accounts, install official updates, remove old connected access, check recalls, treat aftermarket devices carefully, and protect passive key fobs against relay theft when appropriate. Fleets and manufacturers need stronger identity controls, supply-chain governance, monitoring, incident response, secure update systems, and lifecycle cybersecurity engineering.

Most importantly, the industry should discuss automotive hacking precisely. Not every connected car is easy to hijack, but every connected vehicle ecosystem deserves defense in depth because a weakness may affect privacy, availability, business operations, or—under the wrong conditions—physical safety.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can hackers remotely take control of any modern car?

No. Vehicle susceptibility depends on the specific model, software, architecture, connectivity services, authentication controls, and attack pathway. The growing risk is not that every car can be routinely hijacked; it is that connected systems create more opportunities for remote account compromise, privacy breaches, service disruption, and potentially safety-relevant access.

Do over-the-air updates make cars less secure?

Not inherently. Secure OTA updates are an important way to repair vulnerabilities across deployed vehicles. The update system must authenticate software, protect delivery, verify compatibility, prevent unsafe installation, support recovery, and maintain accurate version records.

Does a Faraday pouch protect against car hacking?

A Faraday pouch primarily reduces the risk of passive-keyless-entry relay theft by blocking the key fob’s radio signal. It does not protect against compromised vehicle apps, stolen account credentials, cloud attacks, malware, internal vehicle-network attacks, or every other form of theft.

Is an OBD-II scanner a cybersecurity device?

No. A consumer OBD-II scanner is generally a diagnostic tool. It may read vehicle information or trouble codes, but it does not secure the vehicle. Advanced CAN interfaces should be used only for authorized diagnostics, education, or security research because improper testing can be unsafe or unlawful.

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What is the difference between a safety recall and a software update?

They can overlap, but they are not automatically the same. A recall is a formal safety-related corrective action, while a software update may provide a feature, bug fix, security patch, or other improvement. Owners should check both official update notifications and open recall records.

The Bottom Line

Automotive cybersecurity is becoming a larger safety, privacy, and operational issue because the modern vehicle is part of a connected software ecosystem. Secure accounts, official updates, careful control of connected devices, protected key fobs, supplier oversight, continuous monitoring, and tested recovery plans each address a different part of the risk. No single accessory or app setting can replace that layered approach.

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