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The linked article [1] is actually far more worrying than Slate's concerns about bored 12-year-olds. If a $60 setup can do a rather precise spoof of lidar readi
by zeteo 11y ago
The linked article [1] is actually far more worrying than Slate's concerns about bored 12-year-olds. If a $60 setup can do a rather precise spoof of lidar readings, we are open to scenarios such as:
- Causing the car to collide with other vehicles. E.g. getting into a fender bender to avoid the illusion of an impending frontal collision.
- Causing the car to stop where it shouldn't. E.g. imagine armed robbers or kidnappers waiting on a deserted stretch of the road with a lidar spoofing device.
- Causing the car to run people over. E.g. spoofing away a pedestrian on a crosswalk.
What's even worse is that all of these attacks would be difficult if not impossible to detect or track down. With zero risk you can acquire valid insurance claims, put victims in positions where they're easily robbed or kidnapped, or cause your enemies to be run over.
[1] http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/researcher-hacks-selfdriving-car-sensors http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self...
- Houshalter 11y agoCouldn't you just shoot human drivers from a distance with a sniper rifle? I don't see why everyone is scared of new technologies being exploitable. Our civilization is built in the basis that most people are not assholes most of the time.
- spdionis 11y agoSniper rifles are not easy to get and use.
- stormcrowsx 11y agoI'd imagine if this became a critical piece of our infrastructure the FCC or some other government organization would step in and make products that interfered with them very difficult to obtain. Not to mention I could have a rifle by the end of the day in my state.
- Houshalter 11y agoAre they? A decent rifle is not difficult to obtain or use. There are many places you can practice. You don't need to be that accurate to be extremely dangerous and pull off an attack like that. Meanwhile lidar spoofing attacks are likely going to be far harder. You need to obtain expensive (and probably illegal) equipment, and have the technical knowledge to use it. I don't know what the range of such an attack would be, but I don't think it would be better than a rifle.
- panarky 11y agoLaser pointers are easy to get and point at helicopters and airplanes. The FBI successfully arrests and prosecutes those who do. Why would this be any different? https://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2014/westchester-man-charged-with-aiming-high-powered-laser-pointer-at-police-helicopter-deferred-prosecution-agreement-reached https://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2014/westchester-...
- superuser2 11y agoGetting shot with a sniper rifle is very clearly identifiable as a high-end murder. Investigators arrive at car crash sites far more ready to consider them accidental.
- Houshalter 11y agoSelf driving cars would likely have black boxes that record everything that happened.