SamyKamkar
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OwnStar car hacker can remotely unlock BMWs, Benz and Chrysler
Last month security researcher Samy Kamkar announced a vulnerability that allowed him to remotely unlock OnStar-enabled GM cars. While that issue has been fixed, it looks like the same vulnerability found in OnStar is also present in BMW Remote, Mercedes' mbrace and Chrysler's Uconnect. Kamkar told Engadget via email, "the issue itself is the same exact SSL certificate issue that affected OnStar/GM (which they've resolved two weeks ago). It was barely any tweaking of the original system -- a few lines of code to add support per vehicle." Uh oh.
Combination locks are no match for this Arduino-powered cracker
If you need a reminder not to put your complete trust in standard combination locks, here it is. Samy Kamkar, who once also engineered software that can hijack drones, created a motorized lock-cracking device called "Combo Breaker." We don't exactly know what he's going to use it for, but it's capable of going through each combination in less than two seconds and can crack a lock open in no time. Kamkar created two versions of the device: one is smaller and slightly less powerful than the other, but both are equally effective, in part thanks to their Arduino microprocessors. Before you head out in search of a better lock, though, watch Kamkar explain how he built the machines after the break.
