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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchKaspersky disclosed details on January 20, 2025, about more than a dozen vulnerabilities in the first-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment head unit. The reported weaknesses included denial of service, information disclosure, command injection, and privilege escalation. Researchers demonstrated potential effects including changes to vehicle-related settings, disabling anti-theft protections, and unlocking paid infotainment services.
The key qualification for owners is that this was not reported as a remote attack against connected Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Mercedes-Benz said exploitation required physical access to the vehicle interior, removal and opening of the head unit, and interaction through USB or specialized interfaces. The company also said the vulnerabilities had been patched and that newer MBUX versions were not affected.
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The short answer for Mercedes-Benz owners
There is no evidence in the available reporting that this disclosure describes a remote internet attack against ordinary Mercedes-Benz drivers. The reported attack path required substantial physical access to the vehicle and its infotainment hardware.
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That makes the findings technically serious but materially different from a drive-by compromise over cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Mercedes-Benz online services. Mercedes-Benz told SecurityWeek that the affected vulnerabilities had been patched.
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What MBUX is—and what was affected
MBUX stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience, the infotainment and head-unit platform used in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. However, “MBUX” is not one universal hardware or software product. The platform has multiple generations, hardware revisions, software builds, markets, and vehicle applications.
The reported research targeted the first generation of MBUX. Mercedes-Benz said newer infotainment versions were not affected. The available reporting does not provide a complete list of affected models, model years, regions, software builds, or VIN ranges, so it would be misleading to label every MBUX-equipped Mercedes-Benz as vulnerable.
What Kaspersky disclosed
Kaspersky began releasing details about individual weaknesses affecting the first-generation MBUX head unit. The research built on earlier work by a Chinese research team that disclosed findings in 2021, according to SecurityWeek.
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The reporting described more than a dozen separate vulnerabilities rather than one single flaw. The reported categories included:
- Denial of service: conditions that could disrupt or disable infotainment functions.
- Information disclosure: potential extraction of data from the system.
- Command injection: weaknesses that could allow unauthorized commands to be introduced into affected components.
- Privilege escalation: pathways for gaining higher permissions within the infotainment platform.
Kaspersky reportedly demonstrated that an attacker meeting the required access conditions could modify vehicle-related settings, disable anti-theft protections, and unlock paid infotainment services. These are research demonstrations and potential capabilities—not evidence that criminals used the vulnerabilities against customers.
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- ENTERTAINMENT: Access popular apps including Netflix, Spotify, Twitter, Reddit, and various games directly through the interface
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How the reported attack would work
Mercedes-Benz said exploitation required a demanding physical-access chain:
- Gain access to the vehicle interior.
- Reach the infotainment head unit.
- Remove and open the unit.
- Connect through USB or a specialized interface.
- Exploit one or more software weaknesses.
This is fundamentally different from compromising a parked vehicle remotely. It also means that a casual attacker with an ordinary USB stick should not be assumed to be able to reproduce the research. The available reporting does not establish a simple, consumer-accessible exploit procedure.
Did the vulnerabilities allow steering, braking, or engine control?
Not according to the available reporting. The disclosed effects involved the infotainment platform, data, commands, settings, anti-theft protections, and paid services. The sources do not establish remote control of steering, braking, or the engine.
“Command injection” and “privilege escalation” are serious technical terms, but they do not automatically mean that an attacker can control every vehicle system. The evidence available for this disclosure does not support describing it as a safety-critical vehicle takeover.
Remote hack or physical hack?
| Question | What the available reporting supports |
|---|---|
| Remote internet compromise? | Not established. |
| Physical access required? | Yes, according to Mercedes-Benz. |
| Head-unit removal and opening required? | Mercedes-Benz said yes. |
| USB or specialized interface involved? | Yes. |
| Newer MBUX versions affected? | Mercedes-Benz said no. |
| Active exploitation reported? | Not established. |
| Remote steering, braking, or engine control demonstrated? | Not established. |
When Mercedes-Benz was notified
Mercedes-Benz said an external research team contacted the company in August 2022. SecurityWeek reported that the vulnerabilities received CVE identifiers in 2023 and 2024, before the public disclosure on January 20, 2025.
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Those dates should not be confused:
- August 2022: Mercedes-Benz said researchers notified the company.
- 2023 and 2024: CVE identifiers were reportedly assigned.
- January 20, 2025: Kaspersky’s details became public.
The available reporting does not establish that these were zero-days, and it does not provide a reliable, complete identifier-by-identifier CVE table. A CVE number alone would also say little about practical risk without the affected component, required access, privileges, and patch status.
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Mercedes-Benz said the security issues had been patched and that newer infotainment versions were not affected. The available sources do not identify a universal consumer software version, recall number, release bulletin, or single menu path that every owner can use to verify the fix.
For that reason, owners should verify their individual vehicle rather than rely only on the MBUX branding or a model year:
- Contact Mercedes-Benz or an authorized dealer with the vehicle identification number (VIN).
- Ask the dealer to identify the head-unit generation and confirm applicable software status.
- Install official vehicle and infotainment updates offered through Mercedes-Benz’s authorized channels.
- Do not remove or open the head unit yourself.
- Tell a qualified technician about unauthorized aftermarket electronics, media adapters, diagnostic tools, or other modifications.
- Be cautious about connecting unknown USB devices.
Mercedes-Benz’s statement that the vulnerabilities were patched does not by itself establish that every vehicle received the same update automatically. Dealer or manufacturer verification is the most reliable route, especially for used vehicles, fleet cars, and rental vehicles.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who faces the most practical risk?
These are practical inferences from the documented access requirements, not a Mercedes-Benz risk rating. Risk is more relevant when a vehicle uses first-generation MBUX, an attacker can enter the cabin, the head unit can be accessed and worked on for an extended period, or the vehicle has outdated software or unauthorized hardware modifications.
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Physical-access assumptions may also be more realistic for fleet and rental vehicles than for a privately garaged car. A vulnerability capable of disabling anti-theft protections is potentially relevant to theft scenarios, but the research does not establish a practical mass-theft method.
Risk is materially lower when the vehicle uses a newer MBUX generation, receives current manufacturer updates, has controlled physical access, and has no unauthorized modifications. Again, only Mercedes-Benz or an authorized dealer can confirm a particular vehicle’s generation and status from the available information.
What this disclosure does—and does not—mean
The findings show why an infotainment head unit must be treated as a security-sensitive computer rather than merely a radio or navigation screen. They also demonstrate the value of coordinated vulnerability disclosure and vendor patching.
They do not establish that all Mercedes-Benz vehicles were vulnerable, that all MBUX versions were affected, or that ordinary drivers could be hacked remotely. The available reporting also does not say that the vulnerabilities were being exploited in the wild, that Mercedes-Benz issued a safety recall, or that owners must stop driving.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsOther Mercedes-Benz security stories should not be merged with this case. Earlier research into remotely exploitable automotive weaknesses and a separate leaked GitHub token involving software-development infrastructure concern different systems and do not change the physical-access requirements reported for this MBUX disclosure.
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