New Trends in Remote Vehicle Hacking: Why Ads Target Garages and Car Fleets
A concerning shift is underway in the darker corners of the online world: a growing market for remote access to vehicles. Reports indicate a surge in advertisements that promise to tamper with a car’s onboard computer, remove components, or even steal control from afar. The focus is on enabling distant interference with modern vehicles, and the chatter in these ads suggests that the goal is to enable authorized access only for those who operate garages or fleets rather than individual owners.
Among the offerings, some ads specify that hackers in Russia are willing to perform remote alterations to cars for sums ranging from tens of thousands of rubles, with the exact price depending on regional factors. This pricing reflects the perceived value of control over a vehicle’s systems and the difficulty of executing such breaches, as well as the potential gains from selling stolen parts or exploiting fleet assets.
Earlier discoveries showed bursts of these postings; watchdogs found a cluster of twelve such advertisements in one month while none had appeared prior to that. The sudden appearance of multiple listings in close succession signals a deliberate push to expand a niche market within the underbelly of the internet. The ads touch on a vulnerability that goes beyond a single vehicle or model, hinting at a broader risk to shared mobility platforms and rental fleets.
Shared mobility services appear not to be immune. The same themes extend to car-sharing fleets, where the opportunity for unauthorized intervention could affect a number of vehicles across a platform. The expansion into this space underscores the potential for impact on service reliability, vehicle safety, and trust between operators and users.
Experts have observed that the situation may be tied to a larger environment of supply constraints. When parts become scarce and prices rise, the incentive to exploit a fleet or a workshop increases. Advertisements that promise cheap or easy access to stolen or manipulated components may be aimed at workshop owners who integrate salvaged parts into their operations, rather than at private motorists seeking a one-off hack. The dynamic points to a broader problem: as trade in legitimate vehicle parts grows more expensive, illicit channels may become a more attractive alternative for those who work with multiple vehicles every day.
Looking ahead, industry watchers expect a potential rise in incidents related to vehicle theft and tampering in the coming year. The elevated costs of new car purchases and the sharper price spikes for spare parts contribute to a climate where some operators might consider illicit options as a way to maintain profit margins. While this trend does not imply that every fleet is at risk, it highlights the need for heightened security measures, routine audits of fleet components, and a clear chain of custody for parts and software updates across vehicle networks.
In response, researchers emphasize proactive steps for fleet managers and workshop owners. Strengthening access controls to vehicle systems, mandating regular software updates from trusted providers, and maintaining rigorous inventory verification can help minimize exposure to counterfeit or stolen parts. Vehicle owners should consider adding layered security, including telemetry-based anomaly detection, to detect unusual remote activity and quickly isolate compromised vehicles. It is also important to foster an awareness culture among staff and partners, so that suspicious offers or requests are escalated and investigated rather than ignored.
As the market evolves, collaboration among manufacturers, service networks, and regulators will be essential. Clear guidelines for remote diagnostics, secure over-the-air updates, and verified supplier networks can reduce the odds of exploitation. The goal is to preserve driver safety and vehicle integrity while ensuring that legitimate owners and operators can rely on modern automotive technology without fear of hidden weaknesses being weaponized for profit.
Source: Scoop
Photo: Unsplash