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Yes, a hacker can sometimes affect a car’s physical functions—but there is no universal method that lets someone remotely take over every car. A connected vehicle has wireless and wired entry points, and an attack becomes more serious if a weakness in one system lets an intruder reach other vehicle electronics. The outcome depends on the car’s design, software, network protections and the attacker’s access.
How can hackers get into a connected car?
A modern car is a network of computers, not one computer with a single door. Cellular connections, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB ports, infotainment systems, telematics services, diagnostic connectors and companion apps can all create potential paths into or around the vehicle. An attacker might target a vehicle interface directly, compromise an account or connected service, or gain access through an added device.
The important distinction is between reaching an entry point and reaching a safety-critical system. A vulnerability in an infotainment system is not automatically a way to control the brakes. The danger increases if the compromised system can pass commands through the vehicle’s internal network and its protections do not adequately limit or validate them. CISA’s vehicle cybersecurity guide warns that cellular, LTE/5G, Wi-Fi, USB and Bluetooth connections can provide remote access to vehicle software and may allow systems to be manipulated or shut down.
From an exposed interface to a vehicle network
- Find an entry point. The target may be a wireless connection, an internet-facing service, an app account, a diagnostic interface or an aftermarket device.
- Exploit a weakness. A flaw in software, authentication or configuration may let an attacker access a component they should not control.
- Try to move beyond that component. The attacker’s next opportunity depends on the car’s gateways, network separation, permissions and message checks.
- Attempt an effect. What can be changed depends on which electronic control units (ECUs) are reachable and what those units will accept.
This is a possible attack chain, not a recipe that works on every vehicle. A connection to the car does not, by itself, establish control of its driving systems.
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What did the Jeep Cherokee demonstration prove?
In 2015, security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek demonstrated remote exploitation of an unaltered 2014 Jeep Cherokee. They reached its infotainment system over the cellular network and were able to affect physical vehicle functions. The case showed that, in that particular vehicle configuration, a path from a remotely reachable system to physical effects existed.
It did not prove that every connected vehicle can be remotely steered or stopped, or that the same technique applies to current cars. The result depended on the Jeep’s specific software, cellular connection and internal network paths. The researchers’ work prompted a recall; a 2025 USENIX retrospective says about 1.5 million vehicles were recalled. A 2019 U.S. Government Publishing Office hearing record says the researchers found 2,695 vehicles with a similar vulnerability during a short scan. Those figures describe that case, not the number of vehicles generally vulnerable today.
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What does “take control” mean?
There is no single level of “control.” Depending on the access obtained and the vehicle’s architecture, an attack might expose information, affect infotainment, unlock doors, interfere with a driver-assistance feature, or reach controllers involved in propulsion, steering assistance or braking. These are different capabilities; compromising an account or unlocking a door does not show that an attacker can control the car while it is moving.
Cars use ECUs to manage functions such as displays, locks, propulsion and braking. Many communicate over internal networks that include the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. Whether an attacker can inject or influence messages that matter depends on the particular vehicle’s gateways, ECU permissions, network segmentation, firmware and authentication or message-validation protections. Remote access, access through a nearby device and physical access are also distinct starting points.
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| What may be affected | What that does—and does not—establish |
|---|---|
| Account, app or vehicle data | May expose information or connected services; does not by itself establish access to driving controls. |
| Infotainment or telematics | Shows access to a connected component; further access depends on isolation and gateway protections. |
| Locks or starting functions | May enable a vehicle-access or theft-related effect; does not necessarily mean control of steering or braking. |
| Safety-relevant ECUs | Could have more direct physical consequences, but reachability and accepted commands vary by vehicle architecture. |
Is a keyless-entry attack the same as taking over a car?
No. Keyless-entry relay attacks, stolen app credentials and remote exploitation of vehicle software are different kinds of risk. A relay attack targets the key fob’s proximity-based access system; an app-account compromise targets the digital account and services it can use; a software exploit targets a weakness in vehicle or connected-service technology. Any may lead to unauthorized access, but none automatically proves the attacker can command steering, braking or propulsion.
How can owners reduce their exposure?
Owners can reduce some risks, though no personal checklist can guarantee that every make and model is secure. Follow vehicle-specific instructions and check the manufacturer or regulator for relevant recall information.
- Install updates promptly. Apply manufacturer software and firmware updates, and keep the companion app current.
- Secure connected accounts. Use a unique password and enable multifactor authentication when offered.
- Review added devices. Remove unknown telematics trackers, remote starters or diagnostic dongles. Ask the installer or manufacturer how the device is updated and secured.
- Protect keyless-entry credentials. Follow the vehicle maker’s guidance for securing the fob and its keyless-entry features.
- Report suspected vulnerabilities responsibly. Contact the manufacturer’s security channel, NHTSA or CISA as appropriate. Do not probe vehicles or services without authorization, and never test a suspected driving-system weakness on public roads.
What should automakers and fleets do?
NHTSA’s 2022 cybersecurity best-practices guidance recommends a voluntary, risk-based program that spans a vehicle’s development and service life. It is guidance to adapt to each vehicle program, not a certification that makes a car “unhackable.” NHTSA also notes that wireless paths and non-safety systems, including telematics, may act as routes toward safety-relevant networks; its Vehicle Research and Test Center has verified reported vulnerabilities through laboratory testing.
Build protection across the vehicle lifecycle
- Model threats early: identify assets, interfaces, plausible attack paths and potential safety consequences.
- Design for separation: limit unnecessary communication between external-facing systems and safety-relevant ECUs, and enforce permissions at gateways.
- Protect interfaces and messages: secure external connections and validate commands within in-vehicle networks.
- Maintain secure updates: provide resilient mechanisms to deliver and verify fixes over the vehicle’s service life.
- Monitor and respond: detect incidents, prepare response plans and coordinate vulnerability handling.
- Share information: engage with researchers and industry information-sharing efforts such as Auto-ISAC.
When comparing vehicles, look for model-specific evidence about wireless interfaces, separation between infotainment and safety-critical systems, network authentication and message validation, update support, vulnerability-disclosure practices and aftermarket-device exposure. A broad “safe” or “unsafe” ranking is not justified without current evidence for the particular model and configuration.
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Where can readers learn more about car security?
Craig Smith’s The Car Hacker’s Handbook: A Guide for the Penetration Tester is a technical book covering CAN bus, diagnostics, ECUs, infotainment, wireless systems and safe physical or virtual test benches. It is intended for readers seeking technical depth; vehicle security testing should be done only in a controlled environment with authorization.
NHTSA’s Auto-ISAC keynote says the agency’s teams had assessed more than 75 vehicle-cybersecurity cases over roughly the prior decade. That figure indicates sustained attention to reported cases; it is not a count of confirmed takeovers or of vulnerable vehicles.
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