Hackers also gained access to the driver’s personal data and route data
Three graduate students from the Technical University of Berlin (Christian Werling, Niklas Kühnapfel and Hans Niklas Jakob) hacked the on-board system of a Tesla car. They managed to do this by manipulating the power supply: power surges caused «glitches» in the on-board computer, which the hackers took advantage of.
As a result of the attack, it was possible to gain access to confidential data from the device’s memory. This includes personal information about the driver (phone book contacts and calendar entries), as well as data about the car (including a list of places it has been to).
Hackers also found a code that confirmed the existence of «Elon’s regime». This mode activates the fully autonomous driving system without even having to keep your hands on the wheel, which is contrary to Tesla's own safety requirements. It was previously reported that «Elon's regime» created specifically for Musk and can be activated at his request.
Burglars believe that with the help of inexpensive equipment (costing about 600 euros) it is possible to unlock the autopilot function – the one for which Tesla is asking a lot of money. But it is noted that an attack through a «voltage failure» requires physical access to the vehicle's electrical system, so hacking cannot be done remotely.
As a result of the attack, hackers also gained access to videos stored in the Tesla system memory, along with GPS coordinates.