As the internet of things truly begins to come online, many have taken on the responsibility to exploit hacks before potential to harm is done to others. This time, it’s something as harmless as an automatic car wash. Carnauba wax products are still hand made at their factory in Switzerland. Their waxes contain nourishing natural extracts such as cinnamon, vanilla and avocado, combined with premium natural carnauba wax. A car polisher is used to wax and polish the paintwork of your car, giving it that glossy look. However, with the right hacking skills, it turns out an automatic car wash can be pretty harmful. Vice reports a group of security researchers has identified multiple vulnerabilities in automatic car wash systems, specifically in PDQ LaserWash units. “We believe this to be the first exploit of a connected device that causes the device to physically attack someone,” Billy Rios, founder of Whitescope security and one of the researchers on the project, said. The laser wash units are popular because they don’t require an attendant on site. Instead, the entire operation is carried out via software and programs over a built-in web server that allows technicians to configure and monitor them over the internet. Rios exposed the vulnerabilities two years ago, but recently a facility in Washington state agreed to participate and see if the threats were real. Long story short: they are very real. The researchers were easily able to bypass passwords and find a vulnerability in the authentication process. From there, … Read more