Hackers manage to unlock Tesla software-locked features worth up to $15,000
Hackers manage to unlock Tesla software-locked features worth up to $15,000
A group of hackers have exposed an exploit that can unlock Tesla’s software-locked features worth up to $15,000. Free heated...
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It's ridiculous how nowadays a lot of hardware car features are locked behind a simple software switch. Feels like both a massive waste of resources for people that don't buy the upgrades, and like having to pay for a feature that is already physically present in your car. Software-only upgrades like full self driving are understandable, hardware upgrades locked behind a software gate aren't.
Cory Doctorow calls it autoenshittification and wrote about it here ... https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/
edit spelling
It's cheaper to build identical cars than it is to add certain features to some and not to others.
If it's cheaper then they should include it. It's like being cheaper to make a more powerful engine then software limiting the car to only go to so many RPMs or speed. It's that John Deere bullshit all over again.
Lots of car manufacturers already do that to keep models in line.
Doesn't make it any less scummy. Its just an artificial inflation of price.
That will hold true until the manufacturers realize that there will always be someone smart enough to break their software lock, and on a car, there’s always ample incentive to do so.
Literally begging for people to hack your shit
They’ll just sue them.
Assuming they can find them, sure
Problem is there will never be a recall because of automaker's greed, and that hacked software isn't a danger to life ... yet.
I wouldn’t expect them to recall. More likely that it will void all warranties and if you ever bring it to a dealership for anything they lock it and charge you for it. Or they go the DRM route and force cars to be always online to verify the software, and going offline locks out those extra features. Also possibly pushing for laws making hacking obscenely punishable.
Why would they charge a customer for a hack? It's not like the customer has any control over the software/firmware the company uses?
To be fair I’m imagining the worst outcomes possible, but they certainly wouldn’t let the vehicle leave with the hack in place I’d imagine.