This article was taken from the March 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Owning a car means owning a one-tonne computer -- and you can hack it. "A lot of people are augmenting their cars' performance," says Robert Leale, who runs Detroit-based CanBusHack, an online guide to "in-vehicle data hacking". Leale, 33, who modded his Buick LaCrosse, says: "That's how I pick my cars -- which can I hack the most?" Craig Smith, a 37-year-old security researcher and founder of Open Garages, a network of vehicle-research labs, hacked his Honda Civic to play videos on the dashboard. Europeans are joining in, according to Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs: "Engine control units use the same language as the first GameBoys and appear to have no better security -- which is good for hackers."
Engine
Hackers can shut down the cylinders one by one. Not advised while driving -- or at all, really.
Doors
Robert Leale adapted his Buick to unlock and start itself when it detects his phone in the vicinity.
Dashboard
Craig Smith modded his Honda Civic and now it can play music videos on the dashboard.
Windows
Some electric windows are handled by CAN bus messaging -- meaning they can be hacked.
Sounds
Change the voice of your robot concierge or the parking-sensor bleep to something less annoying.
Lights
Most lights on a car have test modes that can be hacked. Combine with music for a light show.
Climate
The automated factory settings can be tampered with to give you the perfect temperature.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
