Security flaw in Tata Motors' iRA apps, risk of data theft and hacking

According to reports by Business Standard and Aaj Tak, a serious security risk has emerged in the apps connected to the cars of the country's automobile company, Tata Motors. A major warning has been issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) regarding Tata Motors' connected vehicle apps. This government agency has stated that security vulnerabilities have been found in the company's connected vehicle apps iRA 2.0 and iRA.ev, which pose a threat of hacking the cars.

Issuing a high-severity warning on this matter, the government agency clarified that by exploiting these vulnerabilities, hackers can easily breach any Tata car. According to the agency, by taking advantage of this technical flaw, hackers can gain direct access to users' essential credentials, all important information related to the vehicle, as well as various services. Due to this serious security loophole, there is a strong possibility of data theft and user impersonation.

Speaking in detail about this matter, the iRA 2.0 application is related to Tata company's petrol and diesel cars, while the iRA.ev application is connected to the company's electric cars. This warning has been issued by the government agency CERT-In for all versions of iRA 2.0 up to and including version 26.73. Additionally, this flaw has also been found in iRA.ev version 26.72 and below. Considering this risk, the agency has strictly advised customers to update the software of their cars and related applications immediately.

Regarding the use of this application, it turns smartphones into a kind of remote for car drivers. Using this connected app, a user can track their car's location, check the vehicle's health, view trip details, and also check fuel or battery health. Not only this, but by using this app, a user can also lock their car doors by giving remote commands, which may now be targeted by hackers.