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It can be argued that root access is not any kind of switch on its own. You have physical access either way - cutting a wire or reprogramming a EEPROM is alread
by drdaeman 3y ago
It can be argued that root access is not any kind of switch on its own. You have physical access either way - cutting a wire or reprogramming a EEPROM is already a kill switch, root access doesn't add to it, as long as manufacturer doesn't provide a script or otherwise encourages you to `kill -9 safetyprocess` or something.
Unless it's mandated by law that there must be anti-circumvention features (components checking system integrity, DRM-like), which root access would actually contradict. But that'd be completely different from prohibition to introduce a kill switch. That'd be a legal requirement that a vehicle or some of its parts mustn't be user-serviceable.
Root access is not a way to break stuff, even though it can be (ab)used as such - it's most certainly not its primary use case. It's a maintenance feature, enabling rightful owner to be able to diagnose, maintain and enhance their own vehicle's software without resorting to hacks. I'm sure that most people would use that to tweak their multimedia console (like adding CarPlay support) or get more diagnostic info about some failure they're facing, not hack their engine control module in some illegal way.
- schiffern 3y agoYou can argue to NHTSA, sure. Good luck. NHTSA forced Tesla to do a recall because the in-car computer allowed the owner to play custom audio on top of ("obscuring") the pedestrian warning tone.[0] If the in-car computer allowed them root access, NHTSA would have an aneurysm. > as long as manufacturer doesn't provide a script or otherwise encourages you to `kill -9 safetyprocess` or something. Doesn't matter. Scripts will be circulating online within days. If Tesla doesn't stop it, now they're knowingly complicit. Headlines will feature sympathetic low-knowledge users who followed directions, reasoning that it's safe because "why would Tesla let me do it otherwise??" Fin. -- A rooted car is a nice dream, but it's just a dream. We'll never be allowed to sell a (fully) rooted car, just like we can't sell a fully-rooted (w baseband) phone. The Wild West is over folks! Last round's on me... :) If we're very lucky, some manufacturer might give root access to a (heavily firewalled / air-gapped) media computer. [0] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCONL-22V235-2686.pdf https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCONL-22V235-2686.pdf
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- garyfirestorm 3y agoThe issue in this particular case was ability to override pedestrian warning system. It is required to emit certain frequencies so (blind/or a pedestrian who is not visually attentive to their surroundings) can hear the vehicle coming (or going) Tesla made it a feature to allow users to mess with this requirement. However it goes without saying if users could play a tone of their choice in addition to the required noise, no one could have objected to it. The vehicle effectively became non compliant to one[1] of the fmvss rules [1]https://www.regulations.gov/document/NHTSA-2016-0125-0001 https://www.regulations.gov/document/NHTSA-2016-0125-0001