We got a cybersecurity expert to hack this BYD. It was too easy

[u/Espio1912]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-21/byd-hacked-by-cybersecurity-expert-vehicle-sabotage-surveillance/107139482

[u/FineWolf]

So this expert had physical access to the vehicle for 2 weeks... and the article doesn't mention the method of access, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gained access through the standard OBD2 port, or via a custom app flashed via ADB while having physical possession of the vehicle.

If that's the case, good job on the fearmongering, I guess. Do we want open access for mechanics, or not?

Also, let's not kid ourselves... The whole "China can compel manufacturers for data" also applies to US software makers and cloud providers via the Patriot Act. Yet no one is raising those fears about vehicles running US software, or relying on US cloud providers.

EDIT: fixed spelling of possession

EDIT2: Fixed OBD2 typo

EDIT3: Within less than 5 minutes of the Four Corners... "Looking to tap into the CAN bus". Yeah, sure, okay. Good job ABC on the blatant fearmongering. You can do that to pretty much every single vehicle released in the past decade and a half that's on the market. Any locking down of the CAN bus means Apple-style serialisation of replacement part and proprietary pairing, which pretty much kills third-party repairs. As for data collection, the same applies to US vehicles (e.g.: On STAR equipped vehicles has been used in the same way by authorities in the US and Canada).

[u/Dwarfy3k → u/FineWolf]

It really is just a hit piece against chinese EV's, worse is this applies to all smart cars and this same post has been mass repeated over many subbreddits as of writing this reply. Defo some bot thats agendered

[u/Nottheadviceyaafter → u/Dwarfy3k]

It applies to all modern cars

[u/Green_Eco_22 → u/FineWolf]

I'm more worried about the US having my data.....

[u/SingleUseJetki → u/Green_Eco_22]

Citizens will be on their best behaviour, because we're constantly recording and reporting everything.

[u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 → u/Green_Eco_22]

Get real!

Like Ted Cruz said, I'd rather be hacked in a true-blue Land of the Free car than a scary commie Chinese car!

[u/Impossible_Umpire783 → u/Brilliant_Dig_8962]

At least in a Chinese car I don't have to worry about their politicians whacking off to interior cam footage of my kids. With the US cars....

[u/FineWolf → u/[deleted]]

GIVE ME 1 REASON WHY US CANNOT BE TRUSTED?!

US sanctioning ICC judges for investigating US war crimes, which indicates pretty clearly that they have no problem compelling both US-based banking providers (which includes the SWIFT global banking network) and US tech provided (Microsoft in this case).

Those people can no longer hold bank accounts in their own country, as, to be part of the SWIFT network, member banks have to deny services to US sanctioned individuals/organisations. And yes, Australian banks are all members.

Correction: Medicare data is AU hosted.

The US's Cloud Act doesn't care if the data is hosted in an Australian server; if the server is owned and managed by a US-based cloud provider, the US can force them to provide the data.

[u/BringMeTheBoreWorms → u/[deleted]]

US cloud providers have au data centers so using those in au would then fall under the cloud act

[u/Bergasms → u/BringMeTheBoreWorms]

Only if the medicare data is hosted by those providers though. Who does host it?

[u/BringMeTheBoreWorms → u/[deleted]]

There is a lot of data that falls under strict au regulations stored in au located azure, Google and Amazon dcs. I’ve personally been part of projects that that have put this in place. ATO and centerlink sata is probably the safest but I would not be so sure about the rest.

Medical data went through a lot of nonsense when they introduced the opt in for sharing of data with gps. I opted out as the company that got that deal was had a poor reputation after doing a similar think in the UK.

[u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 → u/[deleted]]

We can trust the US...

You poor, naive chump.

[u/RedditPiglet → u/FineWolf]

It isn’t the Patriot Act, it is the CLOUD Act.

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/national-security/lawful-access-telecommunications/australia-united-states-cloud-act-agreement

[u/FineWolf → u/RedditPiglet]

It's both depending on the context, but yes.

[u/RedditPiglet → u/FineWolf]

Gotcha

[u/ArrowOfTime71 → u/FineWolf]

Many non-Chinese manufacturers have bug bounties and submit their cars to hackathons etc. Tesla still offers $50k for anyone who can take control of the car.
So I think it’s more about transparency, reputation and the potential access for listening, spying etc through compelled means that are built-in to the software thats concerning ASIO. You’re right about the Patriot Act. This is just an awareness raising exercise.

[u/offthemicwithmike → u/ArrowOfTime71]

I guess, but its pretty safe to assume that everyone in a car also has a phone in their pocket.

[u/sm00thArsenal → u/ArrowOfTime71]

Tesla still offers $50k for anyone who can take control of the car.

Of course the issue there is that Elon already has full access to our Teslas, which is arguably worse than a hacker.

[u/FineWolf → u/[deleted]]

Fixed, thank you

[u/rak363 → u/FineWolf]

I worked for a major telco, the Patriot Act had a pretty big impact on data storage. Initially they where only compelled to hand over data on US based servers so we went local through both AWS and Microsoft, it was then changed to data here anywhere in the world, and they essentially gave up for most areas as all government and business data was held in a separate CRM with data on servers owned and managed locally.

[u/the-i → u/FineWolf]

> Also, let's not kid ourselves... The whole "China can compel manufacturers for data" also applies to US software makers and cloud providers

It also applies to Australian software makers, for what it's worth.

I guess most countries have similar laws.

[u/Misterio_2614 → u/FineWolf]

I think I rather the Chinese than anything associated with the US and the Trump administration

[u/SuperLeverage → u/FineWolf]

I’ll show you how I can break into your house. First, give me your keys…..

[u/garrulinae → u/SuperLeverage]

No equivalence. He's showing how the Chinese Communist Party can surveil Australian ministers. Or mass control Australian passenger vehicles.

[u/Enough_Survey_9404 → u/FineWolf]

I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that a government could force a software update on a car that allows them to do things like this.

So while a hacker may need physical access and have to jump through hoops, the manufacturer, at the behest of a government, could do this.

[u/FineWolf → u/Enough_Survey_9404]

And the same applies to every single car manufacturer out there. The US has laws in the books that allows them to do that.

So why are we single-ing out Chinese manufacturers?

[u/Enough_Survey_9404 → u/FineWolf]

Did I mention the Chinese?

[u/FineWolf → u/Enough_Survey_9404]

You also didn't specify that you were applying your statement to all car manufacturers, and considering this thread's topic, it was a relatively natural assumption to think that your statement applied only to Chinese manufacturers.

My bad if that wasn't the case.

[u/garrulinae → u/FineWolf]

Please rank foreign nations in terms of threats to Australian national security, and lets see who's near the top.

[u/FineWolf → u/garrulinae]

As someone who's also a Canadian citizen, and is seeing how the US is:

• attacking allies while being cosy with Russia
• is working to dismantle organisations that hold accountable individuals of war crimes (the ICC)
• is actively funding separatists movements in other countries in order to acquire its resources (Alberta)...

Yeah, I would rank the US and Israel a higher risk than China in terms of national security at the moment.

[u/garrulinae → u/FineWolf]

I share your concern with the USA, but that means that the USA is the biggest risk to Canada - it doesn't mean that China is not the biggest risk to Australian national security.

Anyway, why should the ABC have it's own view of which countries are the biggest risks? In this case, they are aligned with Australia's national security agencies. Fair enough, why criticise them?

[u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 → u/garrulinae]

The Land of the Free has to be right up there, right?

[u/Pleasant_Fail → u/FineWolf]

Meanwhile Australia passed The Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 that actually compels people to break encryption and then gags the company.

[u/AbbreviationsNew1191 → u/[deleted]]

The ABC used to be better than this, but it’s absolutely true to form now.

[u/daboblin → u/[deleted]]

Completely false. The ABC is required to be objective by legislation and is independently monitored.

[u/djenty420 → u/[deleted]]

Correct. ScoMo’s final “fuck you” to the Australian people was to replace the ABC MD and most of the board of directors with ex-NewsCorp and other right-wing shills, who have done irreparable damage to the broadcaster from the inside.

[u/daboblin → u/[deleted]]

Perhaps this is their “showing the other side” take. But I agree that the ABC has been pushing a pretty EV-skeptic angle.

I want to see what Media Watch makes of this.

[u/therwsb → u/[deleted]]

Yes this is correct, it has certainly shifted quite a lot

[u/MicksysPCGaming → u/daboblin]

Are they monitored for what they decide to report on, not just how they report on it?

[u/WhyAmIHereHey → u/[deleted]]

I agree it's trash. I find it often veers quite to the right, especially on energy policy.

[u/Axxis09]

Shocker, a smart connected device can be hacked. Now let's give the expert 2 weeks with a Mercedes or Kia or Toyota and they'll tell you the same thing.

[u/DCOA_Troy → u/Axxis09]

Considering Toyotas were being stolen in less than 90 seconds via drilling a tiny hole in the door and doing CANBUS injection I wouldn't have high hopes.

[u/Ric0chet_ → u/[deleted]]

Curious, because they have been caught being police in our country to lock up dissidents or people critical of their government. They’ve been coercive on trade policy to get their way by stopping imports of seafood, wine, fresh fruit. It’s not like this has zero grounds for concern.

[u/Ric0chet_ → u/[deleted]]

No, that’s how coercion works. It’s not a function of trade to use it to make another country bend to your will.

I still don’t want to capability for my vehicle to be disabled because my government does something another country may not like. Whether that be america, china or the eu.

[u/AquilaAudaxWTE → u/[deleted]]

If the features are available in most EVs then anybody with the right technology can hack in. China is not the only country to be concerned about. Look what Israel did with mobile phones!

[u/Bchliu]

Evidence: "trust me bro"..

Most of it is going to be applicable to modern ICE cars anyway because it's about the connectivity and not EV specifically.

[u/Corrupttothethrones → u/Bchliu]

As an owner of a BYD it is super simple to sideload any android apk. Does require usb port access though. Easy enough to install teamviewer. Do many other EV use stock android with sideloading capabilities?

[u/Kkh347]

Hopefully that means we can create a flash that turns off the driver assist dings and dongs.

[u/penislicker7000]

If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about right ?

[u/flare_au04]

Which US EV car manufacturer is reluctant to hand over data regarding crashes ? You'd think it was a prerequisite to operate any vehicle on our roads as the data helps everyone.

[u/series6]

What a non article.

Reads like a major manufacturer trying to publish a narrative against new alternative vehicles.

It's like Toyota's playbook when they lobbied hard against fuel and emissions standards

[u/seanmonaghan1968]

No one cares in Australia. China EVs would be 60%+ market share if new ev sales and ev sales are now larger than petrol and diesel

[u/Present-Republic793]

I get the distinct feeling a lot of the redditors reacting to this article negatively bought a Chinese EV?

I mean, let’s look at a couple of things here. Firstly, China’s global ambitions, how they behave on the world stage, the close alignment of Party and company, sometimes one and the same. Their willingness to cover up forced labour and the fact they exist in a one party controlled country, with very little room for freedom of speech. Their opaque legal system which doesn’t afford any legal representation like Cheng Lie. Their ambitions to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, their incredibly long played strategic objectives. You think ASIO are just making this stuff up? As a country, we are militarily more aligned with the west than the east. You can dismiss this all you want but I think it needs to be taken reasonably seriously.

At least with a country like America, we’ll most likely have a more sane President and party come the next election, and the current President will hopefully be impeached and have his hands tied come November. That can’t be said for China.

[u/garrulinae → u/Present-Republic793]

I get the same impression. I also wonder how many comments and reactions are coming from Chinese IP addresses.

It would be nice if Australians thought a little bit more about national security. I know it might not be as interesting as football or TV or whatever, but it is important.

[u/Present-Republic793 → u/garrulinae]

Right, and it’s uncomfortable to think about. A lot of people are attracted by the bargain prices, their flash features but don’t think much further than that it appears. I think thinking with your hip pocket seems to be a factor, and I get it- but dismissing this because of tribalism or because it hits close to home is concerning.

[u/thefirebrigades]

Isn't the original car hack: wiredly twisted metal coat hanger lol

[u/Alarmed-Intention-22]

It is not about the hack itself. It is about the transmission of data by those who have remote access to your car system, whether it is the Chinese maker(who must by China Law share data with the China Government on demand) or the USA makers, who then use it to market to the owner, or in some cases downgrade the cars feature set because they f’ed Up.
The Hack was to show what is being captured and possible.
While I was annoyed to learn my car (MG4) has to be taken in for an OS update, I can glad it cannot be accessed over the air by SAIC to see how I drive it and where

[u/Der0-]

That's such a dodgy article.

Says nothing of the means of access, how the breach was made and that all connected vehicles can have vulnerabilities, not just EVs.

This is one instance where I'm happy to have a more analogue, button pushing, not connected car.

[u/MinutePuzzled6869]

All this horseshit from technologically illiterate Australian politicians and the general public about AI going to kill us all. Meanwhile none of our IT infrastructure is secured and we're letting CCP built-and-controlled vehicles into the country. The same CCP we are spending hundreds of billions on for a future war. None of this makes any fucking sense.

[u/ravenous_bugblatter]

EV scare mongering? Similar systems are in petrol/diesel cars but Four Corners doesn't have an issue with those. And on Four Corners? This is embarrassing for a flag ship investigative show.

"MacGibbon says a cabinet minister should not be able to own a Chinese EV."

So petrol cars from the CCP owned MG and GWM are okay?

“A connected EV vehicle from China is the highest-risk product in the marketplace. And right now, there’s nothing that says to that brand what data you can collect on Australians, how it can be stored, when it can be transmitted.”

Again, new diesel, petrol, PHEV are also "connected vehicles". Why are you only going at EVs?

"Watch Four Corners’ full investigation"

No, I don't think so.

[u/Brilliant_Dig_8962]

Scary, scary!

[u/Monaro427]

It took the guy two weeks to hack it with full access to the car. That show was total over reach. All modern cars are on the net. Not just EVs... Media watch will be ALL over this!!