Hyundai and Kia: Kia’s Network Is Down, From Finance Sites to Owner Apps, and Nobody Will Say Why

Kia’s Connected Services Hit by Widespread Outage Amid Ransomware Rumors

Since Saturday, Kia has faced a major outage affecting its online and connected vehicle services, leaving owners across the U.S. unable to access key functions. Customers report being locked out of bill payments, remote vehicle unlocking, and pre-conditioning features critical during a severe winter storm. The outage has also disrupted new account setups, preventing buyers from registering vehicles or completing transactions.

Dealers are similarly impacted, with access to Kia’s proprietary portals KDealer and the Kia Global Service Information System (KGSIS) blocked, halting operations that rely on these tools. While Kia has not confirmed the cause, speculation of a ransomware attack has emerged, fueled by unverified claims from dealerships and online forums. The automaker’s parent company, Hyundai, has not yet responded to inquiries.

Ransomware attacks, which encrypt data and demand payment for decryption, have previously targeted the auto industry, including Renault (2017) and Honda (2017, 2020). Kia’s outage follows recent high-profile cyber incidents in the sector, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in connected infrastructure. As of now, Kia has not provided a timeline for resolution.

Source: https://www.thedrive.com/news/39288/kias-network-is-down-from-finance-sites-to-owner-apps-and-nobody-will-say-why

Hyundai TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/hyundai-motor-company

Kia TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/kia-motors-america

"id": "hyukia1781843824",
"linkid": "hyundai-motor-company, kia-motors-america",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "2/2021",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Owners across the U.S., '
                                              'dealerships',
                        'industry': 'Automotive',
                        'location': 'U.S.',
                        'name': 'Kia',
                        'type': 'Automaker'}],
 'date_detected': 'Saturday (exact date not specified)',
 'description': 'Since Saturday, Kia has faced a major outage affecting its '
                'online and connected vehicle services, leaving owners across '
                'the U.S. unable to access key functions. Customers report '
                'being locked out of bill payments, remote vehicle unlocking, '
                'and pre-conditioning features critical during a severe winter '
                'storm. The outage has also disrupted new account setups, '
                'preventing buyers from registering vehicles or completing '
                'transactions. Dealers are similarly impacted, with access to '
                'Kia’s proprietary portals KDealer and the Kia Global Service '
                'Information System (KGSIS) blocked, halting operations that '
                'rely on these tools. While Kia has not confirmed the cause, '
                'speculation of a ransomware attack has emerged, fueled by '
                'unverified claims from dealerships and online forums.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Dealers unable to access proprietary '
                                  'portals, customers locked out of bill '
                                  'payments, remote vehicle unlocking, and '
                                  'pre-conditioning features; new account '
                                  'setups disrupted',
            'systems_affected': 'Online and connected vehicle services, '
                                'KDealer portal, Kia Global Service '
                                'Information System (KGSIS)'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'references': [{'source': 'Cyber Incident Description'}],
 'title': 'Kia’s Connected Services Hit by Widespread Outage Amid Ransomware '
          'Rumors',
 'type': 'Ransomware (unconfirmed)'}