Survey on security threats and protection mechanisms in embedded automotive networks

Abstract

Embedded electronic components, so-called ECU (Electronic Controls Units), are nowadays a prominent part of a car's architecture. These ECUs, monitoring and controlling the different subsystems of a car, are interconnected through several gateways and compose the global internal network of the car. Moreover, modern cars are now able to communicate with other devices through wired or wireless interfaces such as USB, Bluetooth, WiFi or even 3G. Such interfaces may expose the internal network to the outside world and can be seen as entry points for cyber attacks. In this paper, we present a survey on security threats and protection mechanisms in embedded automotive networks. After introducing the different protocols being used in the embedded networks of current vehicles, we then analyze the potential threats targeting these networks and describe how the attackers' opportunities can be enhanced by the new communication abilities of modern cars. Finally, we present the security solutions currently being devised to address these problems.