WannaLaugh? Funsters port WannaCrypt to Commodore, Cisco, Nintendo and Tesla

The WannaCrypt ransomware is yet another reminder, if any were needed, that the networks and machines on which society is now so reliant are laughably insecure. “Laughably” being the key word, after your correspondent somehow found himself in a Tweet-storm in which a series of very fine visual WannaCrypt jokes appeared. This …

[A Non e-mouse]

Cisco Phone

They could at least have faked the right display settings for that Cisco handset. The 7942 only has a grey-scale display. The 7945 is the colour variant.

[Elmer Phud]

Re: Cisco Phone

Bloody anaoraknaphiles.

[Simon Harris]

Predating WannaCrypt by some years...

I took a photograph of a BSOD and used it as a screensaver image on an old Sony Ericsson phone.

My girlfriend at the time couldn't work out why my phone kept crashing every time she used it.

[0laf]

Taking bets now

Cryptolocking a car has to be holy grail for the criminals. Pay £40k for a car and £300 every month to get it unlocked because the manufacturers can''t/won't update it.

[Doctor_Wibble]

Re: Taking bets now

Or make it official and call it "a support contract".

Perhaps less cynically, use it as a mechanism for enforcing a leasing deal.

Bugger, that ended up sounding almost sensible, presumably the only difference is that one is agreed beforehand rather than imposed later.

[katrinab]

Re: Taking bets now

That's been around for a while now - http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/10/16/356693782/your-car-wont-start-did-you-make-the-loan-payment

[Steve Davies 3]

They won't stop

even when say a Tesla[1] that got hacked and the driver was suddenly unable to control the vehicle and someone died as a result.

[1] Other vehicles that allow Over The Air Updates are/will be available.

surely it is better to NOT allow OTA Updates to things like this?

Even if the update is encrypted and everything, there is an attack vector present in every vehicle by design.

IMHO it is better to only allow updates to be done by a dealer.

[Stoneshop]

Re: They won't stop

IMHO it is better to only allow updates to be done by a dealer.

And the update file won't get infected between the manufacturer and the dealer? Or at the manufacturer itself?

[Steve the Cynic]

Re: They won't stop

Ken Thompson called. He wants his meme back.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: They won't stop

Any vehicle that can update its software over a 3G/4G connection has an attack vector that as the poster said, will be attacked by the hackers. That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked.

Then there is the little matter of all that lovely data about our driving habits and where we have been just asking to be hacked and sold to Google, FBI, NSA, MI5 etc.

Are we sleepwalking into a disaster?

[Pascal Monett]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

I can imagine a hacker being interested in being able to do so. There is, however, a big difference between hacking some PC on the Internet and hacking into a car - namely responsibility.

Not saying that those WannaCry guys having made a virus that stopped hospitals from working is a good thing, but they risk less than if they actively took over a car and caused mayhem. If a hacker does try that, he's looking at a lot more police effort (and international cooperation) to be found and a certain - lengthy - jail sentence for manslaughter, with all the consequences that entails.

Not the same risk territory, I think.

As for sleepwalking into disaster - we've arrived there already.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

or.. type your credit card pin if you want to be able to brake...

[kain preacher]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

In the US that would be felony murder/capital murder/ murder in the 1st. Which means if you are in the wring state the death penitential. Or the charge under federal law.

In all states there is a rule that says if some dies while you commit a crime that's 1st degree murder.

[jake]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

"if you are in the wring state the death penitential."

So if they wring an apology out of you, you get death?

Sounds like a state of confusion ... I'll stick to the "out of control" state :-)

[kain preacher]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

Well they will put that person through the wringer.

[Steve the Cynic]

Re: "That is a far too juicy target to not get hacked"

"if you are in the wring state the death penitential"

May I recommend proof-reading before posting when typing with autocorrect enabled?

[JimmyPage]

Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

Having acquired a Citroen with "Sat Nav" and various electronic fripperies, I have realised they are utterly shit. I wouldn't bother updating them if the dealer paid me to, let alone at £249/year.

I hope all car manufacturers give up on any attempt to design car electronics, and just mould a tablet shape into the dash with appropriate power connectors, and a state of the art bluetooth connection, so the driver can choose the sat nav, entertainment system, and whatever goodies they like.

[Lord Elpuss]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

"Having acquired a Citroen with "Sat Nav" and various electronic fripperies, I have realised..."

Dude did you seriously just "quote" satnav :-D :-D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voSpOrimkMY

[Steve Davies 3]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

I can't even get updates to the maps on my '15 plate car. If I could it would cost the same as a cheap TomTom with lifetime updates.

What planet are these people living on.

As for the UI etc being crap... Same here. AFAIK, the only ones worth a toss are the BMW iDrive and the Jaguar system.

I bought a TomTom Rider for use on my bike. Lifetime update and they included a car kit as well.

I rarely bother with my in car SatNav now. At least the Entertainement system can take an SD card.

[0laf]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

Nope BMW one sucks goats as well.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

"just mould a tablet shape into the dash"

Ah, hahahahhahahhahah, what panet did you just come from?

When did you last see a car with a standard slot for a radio? They are all built in and specific to the vehicle. Why would they EVER give a customer a choice other than from their own range?

[RNixon]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

Toyotas typically use a standard double-DIN design. My old Corolla had a standard single-DIN.

Sometimes they round the corners off a little, though.

[Eddy Ito]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

When did you last see a car with a standard slot for a radio? They are all built in and specific to the vehicle. Why would they EVER give a customer a choice other than from their own range?

Contrary to your thought, the main reason for moving away from the old standard box isn't really to lock you in but with aerodynamics being ever more important designers are pretty much left with the dashboard, lights, and grill for the majority of differentiation. I imagine it gets frustrating when told to design a car but make sure it's not too different from CFD optimized model.

Many, if not most, of them are actually DIN slots behind the fancy fascia. Sure, it requires tracking down an appropriate surround/panel to adapt to the standard DIN rectangle for the new head unit but it's usually not impossible although it often doesn't look as nice. A few things making it harder such as the depth of the unit is getting shallow or the display is disconnected. Yes, that new Ford Focus has a single DIN head unit sitting behind the optical disc slot with a separate display above it and you can replace it but it may not be pretty. In any event, it won't be a matter of finding a radio with the proper display size and shaft spacing and then hard wiring the back while wondering what that extra wire does. What do you mean the preset buttons are too thick for the opening? Just kiss the slot with the grinder and it'll all be good.

[Steve Cooper]

Re: Does anyone seriously use the in-car stuff ?

So just like Android Auto (or even better with screen mirroring)?

[MJB7]

Re: They won't stop

IMHO it is better to only allow updates to be done by a dealer.

The trouble is, that people won't take it into a dealer to get it updated. That leaves vulnerabilities lying around waiting to be exploited. OTA updates are the only way to get them done on a timely basis.

Car manufacturers are very excised at the moment about how to do this securely (*). (Updates which are properly signed, and update kernels which are *very* carefully written are about as good as it gets.)

* Source: Meetings I have attended, jobs I have been offered.

[Unicornpiss]

2006...

I can still get updated discs for my 2006 vehicle, and the integration into the display by the speedometer is very convenient. Of course the discs aren't free, or even very cheap, and the ancient hardware likes to occasionally stop reading the disc, and I'm chucking the whole thing anyway and getting an after market radio in a few days because the display has decided to only work when it wants. So not sure what point I'm trying to make here..

[Arachnoid]

*very* carefully written

Yea but theres a big difference between a computer crash and a car crash,

The problem being in the future it may turn out to be a legal obligation to have your vehicle upgraded to the latest patch or face being unable to drive it [or it drive you] on public roads.

As to upgrading thr GPS software I have a 2008 Mazda 3 and a quote of £300+ for a sim card upgrade is a definate no no.

[Version 1.0]

I'm Sorry Dave, I can't do that until you pay me.

Bonus points to the first person to Photoshop "2001: A Space Odyssey" to BSOD the "iPads" ...

[John F***ing Stepp]

Now I'm

Kind of afraid to fire up my old Amiga. . .

(or the TI99-4a for that matter)

[IanMoore33]

never had this problem

back in the good ole days of mag tapes, punch cards , and teletype consoles .

Keep your damn computers off the internet !