“Remember to lock your doors,” is something we’re used to hearing when we leave our vehicles anywhere, whether it’s the grocery store or in an overnight parking lot. Shattered windows and jimmied locks used to be the only things to worry about, but now, as vehicle technology becomes more advanced, all a thief needs to steal your car is a laptop.
In a video released by Crime Stoppers of Houston last month, a man broke into a Jeep Wrangler that was parked in a driveway in Houston, Texas. The suspect opens the driver’s side door, before he disables the alarm’s flashing lights. It isn’t much longer until the thief is able to turn on the car and drive it away.
Earlier this year, the FBI warned drivers about car hacking and how to prevent it from happening. Some advice the FBI had on how to prevent this type of theft included being cautious while installing automaker updates and connecting third-party devices. Last year, FCA recalled 1.4 million vehicles over vulnerability concerns after hackers were able to take control of a Jeep Cherokee through its Uconnect infotainment system. The Jeep Wrangler was not included in that recall.
Other vehicles have been the subject of hacker attacks, including Tesla, Nissan, and Mitsubishi. A Tesla Model S was taken over by cybersecurity researchers, prompting the automaker to issue a software patch to fix the issue. Like Tesla, Nissan became aware of issues with its NissanConnect EV app for the Leaf electric vehicle when researchers exposed a security issue. The app was deactivated immediately. For Mitsubishi, a British security company was able to hack into an Outlander PHEV through the Wi-Fi system, and a fix was later made.
Check out the video below to see a hacker use nothing but his laptop to steal a Jeep Wrangler parked in a Texas residential driveway.
Source: CrimeStopHouston via YouTube
The post Watch a Thief Use His Laptop to Steal a Jeep Wrangler appeared first on Motor Trend.