Fiat Chrysler Recalls 1.4 Million Cars Following Remote Hack Demonstration

We reported earlier this week that a Jeep Cherokee could be remotely accessed and controlled, and I wouldn't blame anyone for being a skeptic. After all, what are the chances of someone remote being able to disable the transmission? Well, with Fiat Chrysler's response, I think that question has been answered.

In a press statement issued today, the company has announced that it's recalling 1.4 million cars that are equipped with certain UConnect radios. Dodges, Jeeps, Rams, and Chrysler's are affected. Ultimately, it seems like this recall isn't going to be that painful for owners of the affected vehicles, as FCA US said a software update would be made available via a USB drive that plugs into the vehicle.

As a direct response to the aforementioned article, FCA US has created a dedicated System Quality Engineering team that's focused on making sure its Internet-connected vehicles are as secure as possible. That's fine and good, but it does highlight the fact that some companies are simply not ready to deploy Internet connectivity to their vehicles, because if it's possible to even pull off a simple trick like turning on someone's wipers, the possibilities are downright scary.

FCA US said that it's unaware of any incidents arising from this security issue, and it doesn't even consider it an "issue". Instead, it's just acting out of the "abundance of caution". But, let's be real: this USB stick will load a security patch that prevents the vehicle from being remotely controlled. That sure sounds like an issue to me.