Hyperdrive
Electrical Tape on Sign Fooled a Tesla Into Speeding in Test
- McAfee says tests highlight vulnerabilities in high-tech cars
- Newer models of the vehicle don’t have same flaw, McAfee says
Photographer: RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images
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Researchers were able to trick a Tesla Inc. vehicle into speeding by putting a strip of electrical tape over a speed limit sign, spotlighting the kinds of potential vulnerabilities facing automated driving systems.
Technicians at McAfee Inc. placed the piece of tape horizontally across the middle of the “3” on a 35 mile-per-hour speed limit sign. The change caused the vehicle to read the limit as 85 miles per hour, and its cruise control system automatically accelerated, according to research released by McAfee on Wednesday.