VW Electric Car Data Breach Exposed Sensitive Information

A cybersecurity vulnerability exposed the location data of 800,000 Volkswagen Group electric vehicles sold in Europe, according to German news outlet Spiegel.

rWhile this breach does not affect any vehicles in New Zealand, it raises concerns about the security of personal data in connected vehicles.

The exposed data included precise vehicle locations tied to owner details, allowing Spiegel to track individuals with unsettling accuracy. “The vulnerability allowed us to draw detailed conclusions about the lives of the affected individuals,” the publication reported. The data breach included movements of high-profile individuals, such as German politicians and police fleet vehicles, highlighting the potential privacy risks.

The flaw, caused by a “misconfiguration” in Cariad’s software, was discovered by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), a European hacker association. Cariad stated that accessing the exposed data required bypassing several security layers and emphasized, “We are unaware of anyone accessing this data other than CCC.” The issue has since been patched.

Though the breach is limited to Europe, it serves as a reminder for New Zealand drivers to remain vigilant about how their vehicle data is stored and protected. With modern cars increasingly reliant on software, the importance of robust cybersecurity measures cannot be overstated.