WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA), and Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today sent a letter to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Mark. R. Rosekind. Due in part to safety and security concerns with the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD-II) ports within vehicles, members requested that NHTSA convene an industry-wide effort to develop a plan of action for addressing risks associated with the OBD-II ports.
As part of the ongoing effort to protect America’s drivers, the committee leaders write, “In the past several years, information security researchers have discovered and demonstrated increasingly effective - and increasingly frequent - attacks on the internal networks of automobiles through the use of On-Board Diagnostic (OBD-II) ports and the devices that connect to them. … Researchers have been able to leverage either a direct connection to the OBD-II port, or devices that connect to the port, to cause a range of effects, from nuisances like digitally engaging the windshield wipers or car horn, to more consequential exploits such as remotely unlocking a vehicle’s doors or cutting a vehicle’s brakes or power steering."
“We are keenly aware of the risks and disadvantages that may come from attempting to address the cybersecurity risks created by the existence of the OBD-II port," continued Upton, Walden, Murphy, and Burgess. “We acknowledge that the port has grown beyond its original purpose, and appreciate the fact that there now exist industries and individuals that rely on its current design and the access it provides. … However, as the growing series of OBD-II based vulnerabilities shows, the OBD-II port as it currently exists creates a growing risk to the safety and security of passengers. As such, we are writing today to request that NHTSA convene an industry-wide effort to develop a plan of action for addressing the risk posed by the existence of the OBD-II port in the modern vehicle system."
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* Letter to NHTSA Administrator Mark R. Rosekind Regarding OBD-II Ports in Vehicles
