Adversaries may abuse inter-process communication (IPC) within vehicle systems to facilitate unauthorized execution of commands or scripts. IPC mechanisms are used by different processes within a vehicle's electronic control units (ECUs) to communicate and exchange data. This can include communication between different software components. Adversaries may abuse IPC to gain unauthorized access to critical systems and execute malicious commands, potentially leading to vehicle malfunctions or compromise of sensitive data.
In 2014, a vulnerability in the jeep's d-bus service allowed attackers to exploit IPC without proper authentication. This allowed adversaries to send and receive messages between vehicle components without proper authorization, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over critical vehicle functions.
This type of attack technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on the abuse of system features.