Two security experts from the US can take control of two popular car models while someone else drives them, using a laptop.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of unveiling their research at the Defcon in Las Vegas in August, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek said they hoped to raise awareness among car manufacturers about the security issues that arise in the security of the software they use.
Their work, funded by the Pentagon, has so far provoked various reactions among manufacturers.
How did they do it?
The researchers used cables to connect the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) devices through the port used for diagnostic purposes (also used by mechanics to locate damage) inside a 2010 Ford Escape model and a Toyota Prius .
The ECU is present in almost all modern cars and is part of the computer network that controls most car functions such as acceleration, braking, steering, displays and the horn.
The pair were able to write software that can send instructions to the car's computer network, allowing their own commands to override the driver's.
This way, while sitting in the back seat and while there was already a driver, they could turn the car left and right, activate the brakes, and reduce the fuel level to zero. All this while the vehicle was under the driver's control and in motion.
A Toyota spokesman told the BBC that because the hardware had to be physically connected to the inside of the car, he did not consider it "hacking".
It's probably preferable to them taking responsibility and fixing their software.
