Another Vehicle-Related Data Threat as Plate Readers Go Rogue

Security researchers have found that automated license-plate-recognition (ALPR) systems might leak sensitive car data online.

First, security researcher Matt Brown published a series of videos explaining that ALPR systems, mostly used by police and for street and road monitoring, can become a risk point that allows accessing sensitive data on the internet. According to Brown, who discusses ALPR devices by Motorola, through searches on the internet, such devices enabled direct access to live feeds and data. Moreover, per the researcher, due to misconfiguration, these streams can be accessed without authentication. Multiple such devices were found in Illinois.

"State of Illinois, you really need to get on it. You've left these devices all out in the open, and everybody's data is just there for the taking," Brown said.

Meanwhile, a post on GitHub also confirmed Brown's findings, saying that license plates, vehicle make, vehicle color, and vehicle model were leaked online. "For educational purposes," the author of the post also showed how it's possible to create a file with data from ALPR systems.

"Do not use this script in any way that violates the law," the post warned.

Motorola Solutions told WIRED that some devices were indeed exposed and that the company plans to increase security. According to the company, if customers use the recommended configurations, there is no risk of cameras being exposed.

ALPR systems are used not only by police forces around the world but also for electronic toll collection on pay-per-use roads and as a method of cataloguing the movements of traffic. Moreover, some of the systems can also be configured to store a picture of the driver.

Privacy advocates argue that such systems are just another form of mass surveillance.

As reported by LEAKD, last month, the electric car industry and its owners received a stark reminder of the cybersecurity threats in the digital realm, as massive data exposure put Volkswagen (VW) Group's electric car drivers at risk.