Security Analysis of LTE Connectivity in Connected Cars: A Case Study of Tesla

The study analyzes Tesla's LTE connectivity and finds that its telematics control unit (TCU) is susceptible to IMSI catching attacks, similar to vulnerabilities found in smartphones. Despite architectural differences, Tesla vehicles can be coerced into revealing sensitive identity information under adversarial signal conditions. This vulnerability stems from fundamental flaws in the cellular ecosystem, where base stations are not authenticated and devices do not verify the trustworthiness of transmitters, enabling attackers to capture device identities without detection.

The impact involves potential privacy breaches through identity disclosure of connected vehicles using LTE networks. Attackers can exploit the lack of authentication in cellular transmitters to perform IMSI catching attacks, potentially tracking or profiling vehicles. However, there is no indication of active exploitation in the wild or direct compromise beyond identity leakage.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since this vulnerability arises from systemic cellular network design issues, mitigation may require improvements at the network protocol level or device firmware updates. No specific fixes or vendor advisories are currently provided for Tesla vehicles. Monitoring vendor communications for updates is recommended.