DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler announced the recall of approximately 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S., according to Fox 6 WBRC.
The recall comes days after two hackers revealed taking control of a Jeep Cherokee SUV over the Internet, the article stated.
Fiat Chrysler disclosed in the government documents that the hackers gained access to the jeep through an electronic opening in the radio, the article reported.
“The fix came after two well-known hackers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, remotely took control of the Cherokee through its UConnect entertainment system,” the article noted. “They were able to change the vehicle’s speed and control the brakes, radio, windshield wipers, transmission and other features. They estimated 471,000 vehicles were vulnerable.”
The automaker said in a statement that it recently “sealed off a loophole in its internal cellular telephone network with vehicles to prevent similar hacks,” added the article.
Since the industry is rapidly adding advanced Internet features, including Wi-Fi and navigation, the article continued, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that it would investigate which other automakers use the same radios.
After the hack was revealed in Wired magazine, Fiat Chrysler announced it would contact the owners of vehicles and offer software updates to fix the problem, informed the article, however documents show that the “wider recall came at the urging of government safety regulators.”
NHTSA is urging affected vehicle owners to quickly get the needed repairs completed, noted the article, and said the recall “is the right step to protect customers.”
Read the entire article here.
