The innovation behind Tesla’s electric vehicles has set us in the right direction towards a more sustainable future. What Elon Musk is doing with Tesla and SpaceX is inspirational and a triumph for humankind.
Given the fantastic future of IoT (Internet of Things) devices ahead of us, it is the responsibility of the security community and device manufacturers to do our best to enable these devices securely. The IoT devices in scope include remotely controllable thermostats, baby monitors, light bulbs, door locks, cars, and many more. The impact of security vulnerabilities targeting such devices can lead be physical in nature in addition to contributing to loss of privacy.
The purpose of this document is to outline the mechanisms by which the Tesla Model S communicates with car owners and the Tesla infrastructure using a variety of TCP/IP mechanisms. The goal of this document is to advise the owners on security issues they should be aware of as well as to kick off a dialogue between security researchers and Tesla Motors that will ultimately drive deeper analysis and assurance.