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Trend Micro
2026-03-13
Industry Signal Important Medium 90% Confidence

Trend Micro Uncovers Vehicle Physical Interface Attack Vectors

Summary

Trend Micro researchers identified new physical attack methods via OBD-II ports and USB interfaces that bypass traditional network security to control critical vehicle systems. Attacks use SDR devices to replay CAN bus signals or malware injection through compromised firmware, exposing vulnerabilities in vehicle internal network isolation.

Key Takeaways

Trend Micro research reveals two new physical vehicle attacks: 1) SDR device connected via OBD-II port replays captured CAN bus signals to remotely unlock doors/start engines; 2) Malicious firmware injection via USB ports using compromised cables/thumb drives hijacks infotainment systems as pivot to CAN bus.
Attacks require physical access but enable persistent remote control, bypassing traditional network security. Research exposes penetration paths from secondary to critical vehicle control networks.

Why It Matters

and urges automobile manufacturers to strengthen internal network isolation and interface certification. Security vendors need to develop dedicated vehicle-mounted network intrusion detection solutions. To highlight the security of physical interfaces as a weak link in vehicle network security...

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Source: Trend Micro Newsroom
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