A totaled Tesla was sold for parts in the U.S. but came back online in Ukraine — here’s what happened

Home » Business » A totaled Tesla was sold for parts in the U.S. but came back online in Ukraine — here’s what happened

The Tesla Motors Inc. Model X sport utility vehicle (SUV).David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA Tesla Model X totaled in the U.S. late last year suddenly came back online and started sending notifications to the phone of its former owner, CNBC executive editor Jay Yarow, months later. The car or its computer was suddenly online in a Southern region of war-torn Ukraine, he found by opening up his Tesla app and using a geolocation feature. The new owners in Ukraine were tapping into his still-connected Spotify app to listen to Drake radio playlists, he also discovered.When Yarow posted about this to the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, his post went viral, and followers wanted to know why this this happening and whether it was a security risk.According to the CTO of automotive security firm Canis Labs, Ken Tindell, there can indeed be a security risk with totaled cars that are restored.He explained in an e-mail to CNBC, “The credentials to internet services are clearly left in the vehicle electronics and then can be used by whoever gets hold of the electronics.” He added, “In general it’s possible to get data out of working electronics — it’s merely a question of how much effort that takes.” This is far from a Tesla-specific issue, he said. Cars, like laptops, smartphones, and even refrigerators and TVs, are now internet-connected devices that can store personal data.”I think it needs to be more widely understood by dealers and own …

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