People visit the Tesla stand at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on November 5, 2021.
(Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images)
Tesla finds itself in hot water at the start of the year after a 19-year-old hacker made a bombshell revelation regarding the company's famed electric cars. David Colombo, an IT specialist, based in Germany, grabbed the headlines when he claimed that he was able to gain access to more than 25 Tesla vehicles across 13 countries.
Colombo sends Tesla into crisis mode with hacking claim
Colombo said that he could remotely open the doors and windows of those said electric cars and flash their headlights. Colombo added that he could start those cars' engines and begin keyless driving.
Colombo also claimed that he was able to disable Tesla's anti-theft systems in those cars and see if a driver was inside the vehicle. He added that he was able to disable Sentry Mode, an anti-theft technology used by Tesla where a built-in camera becomes the car's de facto alarm system.
Once that system triggers an alert, cameras would begin recording around the proximity of the electric vehicle. The footage is then directly beamed to the owner of the Tesla via a mobile app.
Colombo initially claimed in a tweet on Monday that he was able to take full remote control of the Teslas. Colombo later clarified that statement, saying that he was not able to "remotely control steering or acceleration and braking" in those cars. The 19-year-old further said that he could potentially unlock the doors and start driving the affected Teslas, but he could not intervene with someone driving. He noted that he could start music at max volume or flash lights in those cars.
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Colombo says hack was possible because of the owner's faults
Colombo made it clear on Tuesday that his hack happened due to the owner's faults and not because of a vulnerability in Tesla's infrastructure. Colombo tweeted his concern about the Tesla hacking on Monday, saying, "There seems to be no way to find the owners and report it to them."
Tesla has already contacted Colombo about his allegations, with the company already investigating the controversial matter. Colombo's Twitter post about his Tesla hack went viral, racking up more than 7,000 likes, 1,500 retweets, and more than 300 replies.
According to Colombo's LinkedIn page, his main specialization is in cybersecurity. Colombo said that he wrote his first piece of code at the age of 10 and that his company's goal is to help every business get protected from the ever-evolving threats in cyberspace.
He is the founder of Colombo Tech, a cyber security specialist company based in Germany. Colombo's firm offers services such as penetration tests, vulnerability scans, and security audits. Colombo Tech also provides clients with IT security consulting, and the company will soon launch a managed cyber defense service.
Colombo's profile has risen with his Tesla hack, and it will be interesting to see what steps Elon Musk's company will take to address the allegations.
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