Could hackers target your car's tires?

Hackers have found another way into your car's computer system: where the rubber meets the road.

Thanks to the TREAD Act , every new car since 2008 comes with a tire pressure monitoring system. It's what turns on that annoying low-pressure light we're all familiar with. By monitoring the the air pressure of each tire and alerting the driver when the pressure falls below a certain threshold, you car's TPMS makes you safer. It also makes you a bigger target for hackers.

TPMS hackers could gain access to other systems within the vehicle, such as the engine or brakes, leading to complete control of the vehicle.

The problem is that TPMS uses unencrypted radio frequencies for the communication between the tire and the receiver. Hackers can "spoof" these signals , allowing them to send fal