Tracking Cars with Tire Sensors: A Breakthrough in Vehicle Monitoring Technology

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Researchers Reveal Vulnerability in Tire Pressure Sensors, Enabling Car Tracking

A team of academics from Spain, Switzerland, and Luxembourg has demonstrated a method to track cars using data transmissions from tire pressure sensors.

The Vulnerability

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), mandatory in vehicles worldwide for safety and maintenance, transmits a unique identifier in clear text, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and potential tracking.

The Study

The researchers deployed five low-cost receivers, which captured over 6 million TPMS messages from approximately 20,000 vehicles over a period of 10 weeks. By matching the signals to cars, they were able to track a set of verified cars. The unique identifier transmitted by the TPMS remains unchanged throughout the life of the tire, allowing the researchers to infer car movement patterns.

Risks and Implications

The study highlights the risks associated with the use of plain text wireless transmission in TPMS. The researchers argue that attackers could deploy similar receivers at scale to track drivers en masse. Furthermore, they suggest that attackers could combine passive tracking with active spoofing of sensor signals, sending fake flat tire alerts to trucks to force stops and hijack their cargo.

The researchers also note that attackers could link TPMS sensors with a specific person of interest, using publicly available software-defined radios to track their movements. This could enable targeted tracking, allowing attackers to learn, predict, and exploit a person’s movements, points of interest, and behavior patterns.

Conclusion

The cost of each receiver is approximately $100, making the tracking system relatively affordable. The researchers emphasize that car manufacturers should reconsider the use of plain text wireless transmission in TPMS, citing the potential risks to driver privacy and security.

The vulnerability of TPMS transmissions is a concern, as it could be used to compromise driver safety and security. The researchers’ findings highlight the need for car manufacturers to prioritize the security of wireless transmissions in vehicle systems.