Computer Whiz Proves Jeep Cherokee Can Be Hacked

By Detroit Steel - December 15, 2014

2014-jeep-cherokee-text

“Largest Brick in the World” is one Cherokee title that Jeep certainly won’t be bragging about.

For those of you who aren’t trying to rewire the world, the term “brick” refers to hacking a device’s computer and making it inoperable.

Determined to prove that the new Jeep was one of the most easily hackable vehicles, Charlie Miller, co-author of The Mac Hacker’s Handbook, successfully cracked into the head unit of his own 2014 Cherokee, and then he posted it on Twitter for all the world to see.

Cherokee Hacked text

Hacking cars seems to be Mr. Miller’s thing, lately. Earlier this year, he hijacked the steering and brakes of a Ford Escape and Toyota Prius by connecting a laptop computer to the cars.

When Miller first mentioned the Cherokee as one of the most hackable vehicles, Chrysler Group quickly dismissed the claim, as reported here. However, that seems to have made the computer whiz even more determined to crack the Jeep’s computer system.

But car hacking can be an expensive hobby. In addition to disrupting features like the mobile network connections, hacking the Cherokee’s head unit ended up affecting Miller’s radio, heater, and rear camera, which he didn’t’ expect. Mr. Miller’s “let me prove it” hacking experiment turned out to be a lot more costly than making a few re-connections.