Automotive Penetration Testing for Next-Gen Mobility
Challenge
The client, a major automotive manufacturer, faced growing concerns about the cybersecurity risks in their connected vehicles. With features such as autonomous driving, over-the-air updates, and IoT-based infotainment systems, the attack surface had expanded significantly. Traditional security audits failed to account for sophisticated, real-world threat scenarios such as CAN bus attacks, remote ECU exploitation, and mobile app vulnerabilities. The client needed an in-depth, standards-driven penetration testing approach that could identify and mitigate risks before commercial launch while ensuring compliance with ISO/SAE 21434 and UNECE WP.29 regulations.
The client, a major automotive manufacturer, faced growing concerns about the cybersecurity risks in their connected vehicles. With features such as autonomous driving, over-the-air updates, and IoT-based infotainment systems, the attack surface had expanded significantly. Traditional security audits failed to account for sophisticated, real-world threat scenarios such as CAN bus attacks, remote ECU exploitation, and mobile app vulnerabilities. The client needed an in-depth, standards-driven penetration testing approach that could identify and mitigate risks before commercial launch while ensuring compliance with ISO/SAE 21434 and UNECE WP.29 regulations.
Solution
DefenceRabbit deployed a specialized automotive cybersecurity team with expertise in embedded systems, wireless protocols, and automotive network penetration testing. Using both black-box and grey-box methodologies, we conducted a comprehensive security audit of the client’s connected car ecosystem. This included:
Testing in-vehicle network security (CAN, LIN, and FlexRay)
Assessing telematics units and OTA update systems
Penetrating the companion mobile application and cloud APIs
Reviewing firmware for backdoors and insecure configurations
Advanced tools such as CANoe, Scapy, and custom fuzzers were used alongside manual exploitation to simulate real-world adversary tactics.
DefenceRabbit deployed a specialized automotive cybersecurity team with expertise in embedded systems, wireless protocols, and automotive network penetration testing. Using both black-box and grey-box methodologies, we conducted a comprehensive security audit of the client’s connected car ecosystem. This included:
Testing in-vehicle network security (CAN, LIN, and FlexRay)
Assessing telematics units and OTA update systems
Penetrating the companion mobile application and cloud APIs
Reviewing firmware for backdoors and insecure configurations
Advanced tools such as CANoe, Scapy, and custom fuzzers were used alongside manual exploitation to simulate real-world adversary tactics.
Results
Our testing uncovered 21 critical vulnerabilities, including insecure remote command execution, improper authentication mechanisms, and unencrypted firmware transfer. DefenceRabbit provided a detailed remediation plan and worked closely with the client’s engineering team to patch vulnerabilities without impacting production timelines. As a result, the client achieved compliance with global automotive cybersecurity standards and significantly reduced their risk exposure before market release. This engagement not only enhanced consumer safety but also strengthened the client’s brand reputation as a leader in secure mobility solutions.
Our testing uncovered 21 critical vulnerabilities, including insecure remote command execution, improper authentication mechanisms, and unencrypted firmware transfer. DefenceRabbit provided a detailed remediation plan and worked closely with the client’s engineering team to patch vulnerabilities without impacting production timelines. As a result, the client achieved compliance with global automotive cybersecurity standards and significantly reduced their risk exposure before market release. This engagement not only enhanced consumer safety but also strengthened the client’s brand reputation as a leader in secure mobility solutions.