‘Millions of BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce cars vulnerable to hack’

About 2.2 million BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce cars may be vulnerable to cyberattacks due to software flaws. As a result, criminals with a smartphone could, among other things, open doors and read data, it was announced on Friday.

The vulnerabilities were discovered by ADAC, the German equivalent of the ANWB. He investigated which repair and maintenance data the software, Connected Drive, forwarded to BMW via a built-in SIM card.

Connected Drive comprises a range of ‘smart’ software that keeps track of certain data and provides feedback to both the driver and the manufacturer. Depending on the model and country, this includes data about the battery, traffic jams and impending MOT checks. According to ADAC, it took just minutes to break into the software and intercept data with a smartphone.

In addition to BMWs, Mini and Rolls Royce models are also vulnerable to the bugs, ADAC says. He calls it its task to protect consumers and has therefore requested BMW to close the vulnerability. He has promised to come up with a solution on Saturday. Only after that, ADAC promises to release details about the vulnerability.

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, or the FIA ​​for short, has expressed its concern about the ADAC’s findings. The International Federation of National Car Clubs advocates open software for connected cars; BMW uses closed software, which according to the FIA ​​is not necessarily safe.