What happens when a virtual sandbox isn’t as secure as it should be - and the intrusion detection system fails to detect the breach?
17 November, PCA Cyber Security's Security Researchers Radu Motspan and Abdellah Benotsmane will present a LIVE EXPLOITATION DEMO at escar Europe, in Bonn.
Their research demonstrates a full attack chain affecting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Volkswagen EVs, including the ID.4, already on the road.
Event: escar Europe 2026
Date: 17 November 2026
Time: 16:30–17:00 CET
Location: Kameha Grand Hotel (Kameha Universal), Bonn - and online
Head Unit takeover with physical impact on modern EVs
In this talk, a full exploitation chain will be disclosed; several vulnerabilities in the Bluetooth daemon, named PerfektBlue, and in Apple CarPlay implementation, enabled code execution within the guest VM of the in-vehicle infotainment system. From there, privilege escalation paths, combined with flaws in the VM-to-host interface, were leveraged to escape the sandbox, compromise the host system, and maintain persistence all the way to achieving full control over the VW ID.4 infotainment car.
Did you know this full attack chain affects hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Volkswagen EV models like ID.4 already on the road? Carrying out the attack requires one of two preconditions: physical access to the vehicle interior for the wired CarPlay findings, or a successful 1-click exploit. Yet once that foothold is gained, attackers silently track your car’s every turn, hijacking the infotainment screen to display any image they want, or playing arbitrary audio through your speakers. Beyond that, they could eavesdrop through the in-vehicle microphone, manipulate your voice assistant, and even take control of some vehicle body controls. This isn’t just a hack; it’s a huge takeover that demands your attention!
DURATION: 00:30
Radu Motspan
Security Research Team Lead
Abdellah Benotsmane
Security Researcher