Hal's Here: Glitch means drivers can't change radio from NPR

funny story, but kind of scary at the same time. who knew radio waves could fry a computer?

lucky it's just the infotainment system...

 

It appears the radio station sent out a file without an extension, so it wasn't identified as what type of file it was. The radio computer in the car shouldn't have opened it. Since it is only Mazdas of a certain age that got hit, all the other cars tuning in that station properly handled the unknown file, and avoided getting fried.

Unlike the computer handling the radio, navigation, and rest of the infotainment system, the computer running the engine, brakes, etc. isn't wireless. Accessing its software requires a physical connection to the computer. Smart keys and over the air updates could be a point of entry, but have security protocols in place. They don't pick up and run any file streaming in the ether, just like your smart phone doesn't play random radio stations and linked files.

 

By the same token, without the counterexample, we'd probably have assumed Mazda's infotainment software wouldn't have bricked itself on a file without .jpg either.

Closed-source software always benefits from our willingness to assume stuff was reasonably put together when we're not allowed to look.

 

"... they had tuned into KUOW, 94.9 on the FM dial, the NPR station."

"The NPR station"? Erik should catch some flak from KNKX (formerly KPLU) listeners, the other major popular local NPR station, at FM 88.5.

It wasn't fried by radio waves. It was bricked by bad infotainment system software, not doing sufficient error checking. So it may also be susceptible to executing data as code, making it vulnerable to malware.

Radio waves can directly fry the electronics, but that most commonly involves lightening or nuclear weapons:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

That would typically have much lower quality control than the vehicle's essential controls.

 

ANYONE who has ever worked on a USN base when somebody forgot to put danger-tags on Aegis gear before mooring the ship inport....

I remember those signs....

"mission critical" hardware is hardened against electromagnetics both for gamma-boosted weapons (EMP) and Tempest - keeping people from hoovering up data FROM your electronics.
Sadly.....this type of hardening is expensive our "military industrial complex" cuts corners when and where they can.

Infotainment screens getting bricked accidently, or purposefully is perhaps an automotive lesson about eggs and baskets.....

 

Not directly related, but the consequences are somewhat similar. Honda in their wisdom, made it so that every time voltage is interrupted to the radio, to get it working again (after voltage is restored), you need to enter a code. As an anti-theft measure.

Lose that code; you're pretty much screwed. Well, in the States you can go to a website, enter your VIN, maybe some other info, and they'll provide you with the code. In Canada, you're screwed, period.

If you do recover the code, you're inclined to chisel it on the face plate of the radio...

Not sure if they're still doing this. Probably...

 

Becker, installed in '90 and '00 Posches, had the same security code feature. Since, after changing the battery, you needed the code, every smart mechanic wrote the code down on a sticker that was under the frunk lid (frunk=front trunk) under which the battery was accessed. Not that the radios were any great value, but of course Porsche charged as if they were.

 

It's kinda hard these days to grep anything useful about the old nimrod, conelrod (a mile under colorado ) systems. it's still possible to find some stuff on Norad though. The newer systems are still kinda hush hush so not much there either, unless you already know where to look.

 

when i was selling my dil's mothers civic last year, i noticed that the radio wouldn't work and asked for a code to be entered. i had always wondered about that. now i know, thanks!
any reason you have heard for doing this?

 

As he said, it is an anti-theft measure. Do you remember back when nice car audio systems were hot theft items? This was a way to render stolen systems valueless.

 

i missed that, thanks!

 

Hey, I missed it too, was gonna explain (again)...

 

i remember hair...

 

I'm old enough to remember when those types of relationships were NOT 'improper'....

 

I even have a few left.

Actually, I still have all of them. Most just slid downhill to new locations, by gravity.

 

hair today - gone tomorrow in the 80's we saw mullets - half long - half short. One kid in Jr High shaved half his head and mustache on a bet. I know a mustache in early teens, ?? call me jealous at age 13.

 

Now they leave the radio and take the catalytic converter.

Bob Wilson