Responding to electronic in-vehicle intrusions

• US 9,866,542 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Baltes, Kevin M., Forest, Thomas M., Ploucha, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, JOSEPH B
• Application Number:
  US14/607,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A system and method of responding to unauthorized electronic access to a vehicle includes: receiving data indicating unauthorized electronic access to electronic hardware in the vehicle; initiating an electronic hardware countermeasure in response to the unauthorized electronic access; generating a command set that instructs at least a portion of the electronic hardware to implement the electronic hardware countermeasure; and communicating the command set to the portion of the electronic hardware.

Claims

1. A method of responding to unauthorized electronic access to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of unauthorized electronic access to electronic hardware in the vehicle, wherein the indication of the unauthorized electronic access is based on a comparison of a frequency with which messages are transmitted to a threshold frequency or based on a determination that the frequency with which the messages are transmitted is outside a range of frequencies, wherein the messages are related to at least one of the following;

braking, throttle control, steering, and/or an audio system;

identifying a type of unauthorized access, wherein the identification includes;

determining a vehicle function to which the unauthorized electronic access is related; and

identifying at least one vehicle system module that carries out the vehicle function;

initiating an electronic hardware countermeasure in response to the unauthorized electronic access, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises the step of instructing elements of vehicle electronics to ignore all incoming messages for a predetermined amount of time that are directed to the at least one identified vehicle system module;

obtaining a command set that instructs at least a portion of the electronic hardware to implement the electronic hardware countermeasure; and

communicating the command set to the portion of the electronic hardware.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command set further comprises instructing a portion of the electronic hardware to:

rely on internal values rather than those received via a vehicle bus, lower control gains to be less sensitive to information received via a vehicle bus, or implement a reduced-function mode that offers services not dependent on incoming data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises flooding a vehicle bus with data messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises ignoring messages relating to the vehicle function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command set instructs a data gateway to selectively permit communication of data messages over a vehicle bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the command set instructs a data gateway to alert a portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a first vehicle bus that the received data indicates unauthorized electronic access at another portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a second vehicle bus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the command set is cryptographically authenticated.

8. A method of responding to unauthorized electronic access to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting an abnormal condition of electronic hardware in the vehicle by establishing a range of characteristic behavior for different operating aspects of the electronic hardware and monitoring the electronic hardware for indications that the electronic hardware is performing outside of the established range, and wherein the monitoring of the electronic hardware includes obtaining one or more values of at least one of the different operating aspects of the electronic hardware and comparing the obtained value(s) to one or more threshold values;

determining that the abnormal condition is caused by unauthorized access to the electronic hardware based on the comparison of the obtained value(s) to the threshold value(s);

initiating an electronic hardware countermeasure in response to the abnormal condition, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises flooding a vehicle bus with data messages;

generating a command set that instructs at least a portion of the electronic hardware to implement the electronic hardware countermeasure; and

communicating the command set to the portion of the electronic hardware.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the command set further comprises instructing a portion of the electronic hardware to:

rely on internal values rather than those received via a vehicle bus, lower control gains to be less sensitive to information received via a vehicle bus, or implement a reduced-function mode that offers services not dependent on incoming data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises instructing elements of vehicle electronics to ignore all incoming messages for a predetermined amount of time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises ignoring messages relating to a particular function.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the command set instructs a data gateway to selectively permit communication of data messages over a vehicle bus.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the command set instructs a data gateway to alert a portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a first vehicle bus that the received data indicates unauthorized electronic access at another portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a second vehicle bus.

14. A method of responding to unauthorized electronic access to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting an abnormal condition of electronic hardware in the vehicle;

identifying a type of abnormal condition;

selecting an electronic hardware countermeasure based on the type of the abnormal condition;

generating a command set that instructs a vehicle system module to implement the electronic hardware countermeasure;

communicating the command set to the vehicle system module; and

carrying out the electronic hardware countermeasure for a defined period of time, wherein the defined period of time is based on;

when a notice is received by the vehicle system module, when the vehicle is turned off and subsequently turned on, or a predetermined amount of time;

wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises flooding a vehicle bus with data messages.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the command set further comprises instructing a portion of the electronic hardware to:

rely on internal values rather than those received via a vehicle bus, lower control gains to be less sensitive to information received via a vehicle bus, or implement a reduced-function mode that offers services not dependent on incoming data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises stopping communications via a vehicle bus.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic hardware countermeasure further comprises ignoring messages relating to a particular function.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the command set instructs a data gateway to alert a portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a first vehicle bus that the received data indicates unauthorized electronic access at another portion of the electronic hardware communicating via a second vehicle bus.