Your truck may be hacked, and China could be behind the attack. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency announced vulnerabilities in a popular Chinese-made GPS. 169 countries use this GPS unit including the United States. The vulnerabilities found by the US agency are terrifying. If your truck carries this GPS, you should shut it down immediately. You could potentially be subject to a hijacking. US officials report that this is a danger to highway safety, national security, and supply chains. But it’s not just the Chinese government that could launch an attack. Any hacker could have access, which opens up this problem to a whole host of issues. If you have a MiCODUS MV720 GPS tracker, here’s what to do to keep hackers out.
The MV720 GPS is one of the cheaper options on the market. It's an attractive buy at only $25 per unit. Fully wired into your truck, it can control things like fuel supply, real-time location monitoring, opening and closing door locks, and more. However, if a hacker gets involved in that, they can do all of that remotely. That means a hacker could potentially find your location, cut off the fuel supply, and intercept the truck for espionage, theft, or ransomware. Furthermore, they could potentially turn off your car alarm and unlock the doors without needing a key. The possibilities are seemingly endless. Companies with higher security clearances and military operations are not the only ones who are vulnerable.
Hackers Are Smart
Every hacker has the ability to research a vulnerability to learn how to exploit it. Now that the government has released this vulnerability, it could mean that it’s open season for hackers. However, since the MiCODUS GPS is based in China, the Chinese government could intervene. Chinese law dictates that companies follow their government’s orders. That means their government could request MiCODUS send information about specific trucks or fleets. With the popularity of the MV720, that could be a lot of trucks.
The MV720 has the most units in Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Russia. These include aerospace companies and the national military in South America and Eastern Europe. Washington is already urging companies to avoid using Chinese components in their technology for this exact reason. Still, if everything was made completely in the United States, prices would skyrocket. That doesn’t mean that companies like Intel and Qualcomm don’t exist and supply premium chips for devices. Unfortunately, these chips come at a premium price, and truckers are already struggling. Buying an expensive GPS is the last thing they want to do. However, this exploit may make many rethink buying on the cheap.
For now, if you think you have a compromised GPS unit, shut it off immediately. Take it out of your truck and send it to your closest recycler. Some companies even offer a trade-in program that could get you credit for a new GPS unit. The important thing is to get these units off the road.
