The unique discovery was made after students used fluctuations in the vehicle’s electrical system to hack into the on-board computer system, gaining access to sensitive data.
The students discovered that with the help of special equipment worth about 600 euros, it is possible to activate the mode of fully autonomous driving, which is against Tesla’s safety standards. They also found the driver’s personal details, as well as the vehicle’s navigation history detailing the places visited.
However, this form of “power failure” requires direct physical interaction with the vehicle’s electrical system, which precludes the possibility of hacking remotely. Further investigation revealed a cache of stored video recordings with GPS data, indicating the seriousness of the leak of confidential information.