Swipe, Plug-in, Pwned: Researchers Find New Ways to Hack Vehicles

Researchers at the Pwn2Own Automotive contest demonstrated 66 unique zero-day vulnerabilities across in-vehicle infotainment systems and EV chargers, including an NFC-triggered buffer overflow that allowed takeover of an Autel MaxiCharger and attacks via charging-gun signals and Bluetooth. The report emphasizes that IVI and charging infrastructure remain insufficiently hardened, enabling relatively simple, high-impact compromises that could affect vehicle operation and wider EV infrastructure.