Chinese hackers take over moving Tesla from 12 miles away

Chinese white-hat hackers (hackers that expose vulnerabilities with good rather than pernicious intentions) just proved that Tesla has a significant security risk on its hands.

Keen Security Lab, a Chinese hacking research group, released a blog post as well as a video showing their ability to hack and control unmodified Tesla Model S vehicles in both Parking and Driving Mode.

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Some of the remote-controlled features were rather innocuous, including adjusting the seat and activating the windshield wipers. Others, however, are a bit more worrying.

Not only was the group able to remotely unlock the cars without a key fob, they were also able to remotely activate the brakes, bringing the car to an immediate stop.

While most of these hacking demonstrations were performed within near proximity to the car, the remote brake application was activated by a hacker 12 miles way. This, as you might agree, is incredibly worrying.

Thankfully, the Keen Security Lab researchers aren't malicious in their intent. As such, they've already alerted Tesla to the security vulnerabilities and are working with the carmaker to remedy them.

Still, though, this demo raises concerns. If even a tech-savvy company like Tesla can produce cars vulnerable to hacking, what other security concerns are rolling around on the highway right now?

It's examples like this, though, that underscore the importance of the proposed Department of Transportation guidelines for autonomous cars.