[evv]

Sure, I agree, but what system checks the signature? A responsible engineering team would have a dedicated piece of hardware for that. For decent security, it would need to physically sit between the untrusted, internet-connected machine and the embedded hardware.

Not to mention that there must be some key floating around Tesla that can be used to completely reprogram any Model S from anywhere.

Its not the first time a company has needed to privately secure a key, but this time there's a lot more at stake. I wonder what the privacy success rate is for companies with highly-sought-after keys like that. Over a long period of time, the chance of a key leak has got to be pretty high.

[viraptor]

> For decent security, it would need to physically sit between the untrusted, internet-connected machine and the embedded hardware.

TPM style solutions already exist. Keys burned into the chip + verification at boot should do most of the work.

> there must be some key floating around Tesla that can be used to completely reprogram any Model S from anywhere.

It could be something more interesting. A set of keys where signature requires N out of them? Even if there is some master key, they wouldn't keep it on a node connected to the network (one would hope...) Some hardware crypto-box maybe?

[TeMPOraL]

> Even if there is some master key, they wouldn't keep it on a node connected to the network (one would hope...) Some hardware crypto-box maybe?

I imagine Elon sending the only copy to space on one of the recent SpaceX launches, so that they can deorbit it when needed, but to steal it, you'd actually have to go up there and find it ;).