(Tesla Motors)
Tesla arguably makes the most technologically advanced car on earth — it runs on electricity, is permanently connected to the Internet and can upgrade how it accelerates through a software download.
So, of course, hackers want to break it.
And they did, sort of, according to research to be unveiled at the Def Con hacker conference here this week. Two researchers said they devised a way to force the car to power down and come to a stop, but only after they had physical access to the vehicle and directly connected a laptop to its onboard computer.
The findings are the latest indication of the risks auto makers face as they turn cars into rolling computers. Last month, two other researchers made headlines when they showed how they could remotely hack a Jeep Cherokee as it rolled down a St. Louis-area highway. Fiat Chrysler has since issued a fix for that bug.
Both the Jeep and Tesla hacks take control of the car through the entertainment system.