Hacked Digital License Plates: How Cybercriminals Can Switch Tolls and Tickets for You

By the end of 2023, about 75,000 vehicles will be driving around with digital license plates in California, Arizona, Michigan, and Texas. Although this technology initially seemed like a good idea to some people, there are already hackers who are finding a way to hack these plates to transfer tolls and tickets. While digital license plates are only legal in four states, others are working on legislation to make the technology legal. Here’s what you need to know about digital plates and how hackers are already getting into them.

What are Digital License Plates?

A digital license plate is a mounted device that uses a screen to display the vehicle’s license plate number and other important information. Obviously, there are a few things that set digital plates apart from the traditional metal plates that most of us have. Here are some important takeaways.

• Digital license plates can communicate with your car.
• They can be customized, which means you can have a fun looking plate if you want. With businesses, you can also add marketing to your plates.
• These plates can emit radio signals to be tracked and monitored. There is also vehicle recovery support available.

Reviver is currently the sole provider of all digital licenses in the United States. The company has marketed plates with key features that are easy to register and have the ability to customize. For commercial vehicles, it can also make fleet management easier.

Where Are License Plates Legal?

According to Reviver’s website, digital license plates are only legal in four states:

• In Arizona
• California
• In Michigan
• Texas (commercial use only)

That said, there are moves in some states to legalize this type of technology. Colorado passed the law through the process of rules and regulations starting in 2022. Georgia has also passed a law regarding digital plates, but ongoing discussions are taking place with the toll authorities. The Illinois bill made it through rules and regulations in 2019, but has yet to move forward.

Several other states are also using the technology.

• Maryland has an ongoing pilot project.
• New Jersey is introducing the law in 2022.
• New York is working to introduce legislation.
• North Carolina passed the law in 2019.
• Ohio plans to introduce legislation in 2025.
• Pennsylvania is running a pilot program.
• Washington is working to introduce legislation.

So, while you may not see digital license plates right now, the chances of seeing them increase over time. Like all pieces of technology, digital plates can be hacked and used against consumers. So, how do hackers use them and how can they affect you?

How Digital License Plates Are Hacked

DETAILS reported that a security researcher found some loopholes in Reviver’s digital license plate system. Josep Rodriguez is a researcher at a security company called IOActive. He discovered that there are ways to “jailbreak” the plates sold by Reviver. By simply removing the sticker on the back of the plate and attaching the cable to its internal connectors, he was able to rewrite the firmware in minutes. With the new firmware installed, the jailbroken plate can receive commands via Bluetooth. This allows the other person to change their display to show any characters or images.

Knowing that digital license plates can be hacked in this way can allow drivers to avoid any system that relies on number plates for use or monitoring. “You can put anything you want on the screen, which users shouldn’t be able to do,” Rodriguez said. “Imagine you’re driving a speed camera or you’re a criminal and you don’t want to get caught.”

Tolls and tickets can be changed to someone else’s plate. More importantly, criminals can change plates to avoid the police. “If you can change the license plate number whenever you want, you can cause real problems,” concluded Rodriguez.

In addition, Rodriguez pointed out that hacking the plates can also allow the driver to access the Reviver’s customization features without paying a monthly fee of $29.99. Eventually, Reviver will need to go back and replace the chips in the 75K+ plates they have sold. Rodriguez said there is no other way to “fix” this issue. As a single provider of all digital license plates, this may be something the company wants to address before further expansion. It may also influence legislators’ perceptions of the product.

That’s not the only story either. In 2022, another security researcher discovered problems with the company’s web infrastructure. Sam Curry was able to easily log into the website, pretend to be an administrator, and use the license plates.

The Stimulant’s Response to a Safety Problem

Reviver was able to respond quickly to the issue Curry discovered. However, the Reviver is still struggling to find a way to deal with the prison break that Rodriguez discovered. IOActive, the company Rodriguez works for, saidDETAILS that they tried to contact Reviver about the findings of its security audit last year. The company even explained its findings to US CERT, who also tried to contact someone at Reviver.

On the other hand, Reviver toldDETAILS that they only heard about the jailbreak research when the letter reached them last week. They made a statement on the matter. In it, Reviver points out that the act of hacking one of their license plates “would be a criminal act subject to prosecution by law enforcement.”

The company also tried to support its technology. They wrote, “the jailbreak process identified by IOActive requires physical access to the vehicle and plate, plate removal, special tools, and technology” and “this scenario is very unlikely to occur in real-world situations, limiting it to malicious actors knowingly breaking the rules and product warranties.” “

Additionally, Reviver says it is working to redesign digital license plates to avoid using chips that are vulnerable to the hacking tactic used by Rodriguez.

Would you consider getting a digital license plate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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