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Chrysler, Nissan looking into claim that their cars are industry's most hackable

A pair of cyber security experts have awarded the ignominious title of most hackable vehicles on American roads to the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 2014 Infiniti Q50 and 2015 Cadillac Escalade.
Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek are set to release a report at the Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas, Automotive News reports. The two men found the Jeep, Caddy and Q50 were easiest to hack based not on actual tests with the vehicles, but a detailed analysis of systems like Bluetooth and wireless internet access - basically, anything that'd allow a hacker to remotely gain access to the vehicle's systems.
Considering this lack of hands-on testing, the pair acknowledge that "most hackable" could be a relative term - they point out that the vehicles may actually be quite secure.

FCA CEO Mike Manley will run Americas for Stellantis after PSA merger

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will run operations in the Americas when his company merges with FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot early next year. FCA Chairman John Elkann announced ManleyÂ’s new post on Friday in a letter to employees. ManleyÂ’s role in the merged company had been a mystery. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares will run the overall company, to be named Stellantis. Shareholders of both companies will vote on the merger Jan. 4 to seal the deal creating the worldÂ’s fourth-largest automaker. The merger is expected to be completed by the end of March. PSA will get six seats on the new companyÂ’s 11-member board, which will be chaired by Elkann. The Americas, especially the U.S., are key to the new companyÂ’s success. Fiat ChryslerÂ’s Jeep and Ram brands are highly profitable, and Tavares has long wanted to sell PSA vehicles in the U.S. Manley has been the Italian-American automakerÂ’s CEO for 2 1/2 years, taking over when Sergio Marchionne died in 2018. Stellantis will have the capacity to produce 8.7 million cars a year, just behind Volkswagen, the Renault-Nissan alliance and Toyota. Related Video: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Peugeot Mike Manley Stellantis

Jeep Renegade recalled to prevent hacking

Jeep is issuing a voluntary recall of some 7,800 Renegades over fears that their radios may be vulnerable to hacking. The company is quick to stress that this campaign is independent of the hacking scare earlier this year. Only Renegades fitted with the 6.5-inch touchscreen display are affected by the recall. Owners of the affected vehicles will be mailed a USB jump drive that they can plug into their vehicle for a free software update. Alternatively, owners can head over to the UConnect website, enter their VIN, and download the software to their own jump drive. (See how in our video below.) Dealers will also perform the upgrade free of charge. The software update provides "additional security features," that should prevent remote tampering. If this sounds worrying, it's actually not that huge of a problem. First, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles estimates that over half the affected vehicles are still sitting on dealer lots. More importantly, according to FCA, the vulnerability on the Renegade "required unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code," making it considerably different than the Cherokee problem. No injuries or hacks have been reported by any Renegade owner. Related Video: Statement: Software Update September 4, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is conducting a voluntary safety recall to update software in approximately 7,810 U.S.-market SUVs equipped with certain radios. More than half remain in dealer hands and will be serviced before they are sold. The campaign – which involves radios that differ from those implicated in another, similar recall – is designed to protect connected vehicles from remote manipulation. If unauthorized, such interference constitutes a criminal act. FCA US has already applied measures to prevent the type of vehicle manipulation demonstrated in a recent media report. These measures – which required no customer or dealer actions – block remote access to certain vehicle systems. The Company is unaware of any injuries related to software exploitation, nor is it aware of any related complaints, warranty claims or accidents – independent of the media demonstration. Affected are certain 2015 Jeep Renegade SUVs equipped with 6.5-inch touchscreens. Customers will receive a USB device which they may use to upgrade vehicle software. This provides additional security features.