Another reason to love our simple low tech Yaris....

[bentjazz]

Here is another reason to love our simple, low tech Yaris, folks.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/computer-hackers-dissect-cars-automakers-react-27132494

[why?]

Here is another reason to love our simple, low tech Yaris, folks.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/computer-hackers-dissect-cars-automakers-react-27132494

Why do you think a Yaris is not vulnerable? We've got drive by wire throttles(aka computer controlled) ECU that run everything, and an ECM like every other car on the road. The Yaris is just as vulnerable.

[CTScott]

The Yaris has no connections to the outside world though, so any hacking has to be done by making a physical connection to the CAN bus.

[Jcp123]

Not sure I'd call the Yaris low-tech...only by comparison I suppose.

[Gogogordy]

Not sure I'd call the Yaris low-tech...only by comparison I suppose.


Far from low tech, only lowly accessorized (in comparison) with lotsa electronic doo-daddery.

[Jcp123]

Far from low tech, only lowly accessorized (in comparison) with lotsa electronic doo-daddery.

Yep, that's kinda what I was getting at :D

[Gogogordy]

They still have more computing power than the first space shuttle did!

[Jcp123]

I'm old-school. Variable valve timing meant your chain had slipped a tooth and fuel injection was when you sprayed ether down your 4-bbl carb :D

[shepd]

Weren't some of the Yarii equipped with BlueTooth radios? I doubt the radios are connected to CANbus but they could at least frustrate you by turning your radio up/off/whatever. LOL.

These cars are also drive by wire, so they are remotely hackable in a sense--enough interference and the accelerator wouldn't work properly (then again, in any car with a PCM, the engine is likely to stop running too).

[dj92]

The radios have no connection to the bus at all, even those with navigation.
I have investigated this topic, it might be possible to control the throttle angle via the bus, however, I have not seen any way to reconstruct an active test from Techstream in order to do so, because there isn't any (at least on my 2009 TMMF 1KR-FE MT).
You would have to get the source code,reverse engineer the ECU or spend years on brute-force tests.

Most active tests are unreachable if the ignition is turned off.
The only ones I have found to be independent of this are the dome light and the power relay which gives power to the power windows - but only the non-automatics, which applies to the front passenger side on mine.
However, it is still impossible to operate the windows this way - you have to be inside the car or have a door opened, so there is no use of it for "unauthorized entrance" at all.
Those active tests work via OBD commands, namely CAN IDs 750hex and 758hex iirc.
Keep in mind, that you have to get access to the bus wires of the car to do anything of that kind, another possibility would be connecting to an OBD interface - most of them don't have a switch and even if, most drivers won't operate them (including me).
I don't remember whether ignition had to be turned on to operate the door locks and I don't remember the details of my research about "can you get unauthorized access to the car?" and "can you simply misuse the electric system to set the car on fire?", but I consider both things improbable enough to ignore them, also because an immobilizer is mandatory here.

Why I investigated the second question?
At least in the first European Mk1, the power for the dome light ran across the cluster's PCB, but was only secured with a fuse of 15A or so - in any case, way too much current to make sense.
A friend of mine's Mk1 almost burned down when the dome light got a short, so I wanted to see whether the Mk2 has huge fails of that kind inside.
OK, the wires are quite thin, but up to now (!), I did not find any bigger issues.

[nookandcrannycar]

I'm old-school. Variable valve timing meant your chain had slipped a tooth and fuel injection was when you sprayed ether down your 4-bbl carb :D

:laugh::thumbsup: Brings back memories of using a spray on the aftermarket Carter AFB 4-barrell on the Firebird that was mine to drive until I saved up enough money (at 17) to buy my own car.