You’d think that self-driving cars would be most vulnerable to remote hacks, but the biggest danger may come from someone nearby with a handful of cheap electronics. Security researcher Jonathan Petit has determined that you can fool LIDAR (the laser ranging common on autonomous vehicles) by sending “echoes” of fake cars and other objects through laser pulses. All you need is a low-power laser, a basic computing device (anArduino kit or Raspberry Pi is enough) and the right timing — you don’t even need good aim. Petit managed to spoof objects from as far as 330 feet away in his proof-of-concept attack, and he notes that it’s possible to present multiple copies of these imaginary objects or make them move. In other words, it’d only take one prankster to make a self-driving car swerve or stop to avoid a non-existent threat.
via Engadget
Image: AP Photo/Tony Avelar
