Hyundai requires Ioniq 5 owners to pay for the updated security

• Hyundai requires a paid update for Ioniq 5 in Great Britain.
• The number of car thefts due to vulnerabilities in security is increasing.
• Owners are required to pay for the update, regardless of the warranty.

This is reported by Mezha, The Verge.

Hyundai in Ukraine requires Ioniq 5 electric vehicle owners to pay for additional security updates, which are intended to protect the vehicle from theft using a specialized device resembling a Game Boy. This update involves changes to the hardware and software and costs £49 sterling (approximately $65 USD).

For the last few years in Great Britain and other countries, there has been an increase in car thefts of Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis models, which are associated with vulnerabilities in the keyless protocols of Hyundai Motor Group. The most vulnerable are the Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60. The device, resembling a Game Boy, developed by European hackers, intercepts the signal from the key fob, decodes it, and sends a cloned signal, tricking the car into "believing" that the key is present. After this, the engine starts on the same principle.

In 2020, it was reported that this device allows the car to be stolen with a single press of a button. In Europe, its value reaches €20,000, but it is widely used for the theft of various car brands. In 2024, Hyundai Ioniq and Kia EV6 models were included in the list of the most stolen cars in Great Britain.

Regardless of the five-year warranty, Hyundai requires owners to pay for the exploitation of vulnerabilities, which raises a question of accountability. Investigators also identified other security issues last year, including vulnerabilities in the Kia web portal, which allowed remote unlocking and starting of the vehicle. In 2023, Hyundai and Kia were forced to pay $200 million in relation to Kia Boys, where criminals bypassed the protection using a USB cable.

Overall, Hyundai aims to reduce the risk of theft through the known vulnerabilities, but doing this at the expense of the owners raises questions.

Tags: Automotive/Crime