The alert is launched. The Danish and Norwegian authorities now know that there is a significant security flaw in their transport system: an investigation has just shown that Chinese electric buses from the Yutong brand, in service in these countries, can in fact be deactivated remotely, reports the media The Guardian. Part of the transport network in Denmark and Norway could thus be paralyzed by external manipulation…
Concretely, the study, carried out by the Norwegian transport operator Ruter, shows that “the manufacturer has direct digital access to each bus for software updates and diagnostics” and that “in theory, this could be exploited to disrupt the operation of the bus”, according to Euronews.
In fact, the company carried out tests by taking Tutong buses into underground mine…
The alert is launched. The Danish and Norwegian authorities now know that there is a significant security flaw in their transport system: an investigation has just shown that Chinese electric buses from the Yutong brand, in service in these countries, can in fact be deactivated remotely, reports the media The Guardian. Part of the transport network in Denmark and Norway could thus be paralyzed by external manipulation…
Concretely, the study, carried out by the Norwegian transport operator Ruter, shows that “the manufacturer has direct digital access to each bus for software updates and diagnostics” and that “in theory, this could be exploited to disrupt the operation of the bus”, according to Euronews.
In fact, the company carried out tests by taking Tutong buses into underground mines to cut them off from all external signals. But, in this situation, these Chinese coaches were still controllable remotely, unlike the Dutch ones, which were also brought underground.
Concerning France, without knowing whether the models in circulation are the same as those mentioned in the study, the Chinese manufacturer states on its site that 132 of its buses circulate in France: “mainly” in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Toulouse and Marseille, as Yutong specifies.
“All types of vehicles” concerned
“Suppliers or hackers cannot take control of the bus, for example by influencing its direction, because the bus is not equipped with camera systems capable of reading road markings and signs,” further explained Arild Tjomsland, a member of the team of ten technicians who examined the buses.
“This is a problem that concerns all types of vehicles and devices incorporating Chinese electronic components,” responded Jeppe Gaard, operations director of Movia, Denmark’s largest public transport company, which operates 262 buses manufactured by Yutong, to the British media.
“We should not be so dependent on a country whose values and ideals are so different,” commented regional elected official Thomas Rohden to the Guardian, before adding that his country had been “much too slow” regarding its dependence on Chinese companies.
For its part, Yutong asserted that it “strictly complies with applicable laws, regulations and industry standards of the locations where its vehicles operate” and that its vehicle data is “protected by encryption and access control measures” while being stored for the European Union in Frankfurt, Germany.