--- title: "New Hack Steals a Tesla in Minutes via Bluetooth" description: "Security researchers have found a way to hack into the Tesla Model X by overwriting the firmware on the key fob via Bluetooth. Learn how." date: "2020-11-24" modified: "2020-12-02" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/hack-steals-tesla-minutes-bluetooth" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "hack" - "hacker" - "Model X" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # New Hack Steals a Tesla in Minutes via Bluetooth ![Security researchers have figured out a way to hack into a Tesla Model X by overwriting the firmware of the car's key fob via a Bluetooth connection.]() *\Image: COSIC\* ## 90 Second Hack Security researchers from Belgium have figured out a way to hack into a Tesla Model X by overwriting the firmware of the car's key fob via a Bluetooth connection, [*Wired* reports](). The hack, which KU Leuven security researcher Lennert Wouters told *Wired* Tesla still hasn't addressed, could let a thief steal an entire Model X within 90 seconds. ## Grand Theft Auto Wouters combined two vulnerabilities, according to *Wired*. The first lets a hacker get inside a Model X with a hacked key fob using the car's vehicle identification number, which is normally printed on the dashboard where it can be read from outside the car. The second used a custom piece of hardware that Wouters told *Wired* he built for about $300 using a modified Model X body control module, which he says the hacker could plug into a port on the Tesla's dashboard after gaining access to the inside of the vehicle. The second hack, he said, gives the thief full control of the car. "Basically a combination of two vulnerabilities allows a hacker to steal a Model X in a few minutes time," Wouters told *Wired*. "When you combine them, you get a much more powerful attack." ## Key Fob Rob It's yet another instance of a security vulnerability involving Tesla key fobs allowing hackers to get inside locked up vehicles. Last year, [home security videos surfaced]() showing thieves hacking into a Tesla using a device with a long antenna. Wouters told *Wired* that he warned Tesla about the latest hack back in August. But it doesn't plan to roll out a software update to fix either vulnerability until this coming week. Tesla didn't reply to *Wired*'s request for comment — which could be related to the fact that it [dissolved its PR department]() earlier this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clrNuBb3myE **READ MORE:** [This Bluetooth Attack Can Steal a Tesla Model X in Minutes]() \[*Wired*\] **More on Tesla hacks:** *[How Tesla Whitehat Hacker Gained Control of Tesla's Entire Fleet]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()