Major Automaker

A severe vulnerability in the automaker's dealer portal allowed unauthorized attackers to register dealer accounts, escalate privileges to national administrator, and remotely control vehicles. The flaw, stemming from hidden registration forms and weak session token management, enabled attackers to transfer car ownership and send remote commands via the vehicle enrollment API. This exposed all vehicles from 2012 onward with telematics modules, posing significant risks to customer safety and data integrity. The automaker has since patched the issue with stricter token validation and role-based access controls.

Source: https://cybersecuritynews.com/critical-vulnerability-in-carmaker-portal/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/volkswagen-of-america-inc

"id": "vol207081225",
"linkid": "volkswagen-of-america-inc",
"type": "Vulnerability",
"date": "8/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Automotive', 'type': 'Automaker'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Exploitation of hidden registration form and session token '
                  'manipulation',
 'description': 'A severe flaw in a major automaker’s dealer portal allowed '
                'unauthorized attackers to register for dealer accounts, '
                'escalate privileges to a national administrator, and '
                'ultimately control vehicles remotely. The vulnerability '
                'resides in the portal’s Java/SAP backend and AngularJS '
                'frontend, where hidden registration forms could be exposed '
                'and abused.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High, due to potential for widespread '
                                       'vehicle hijacking',
            'operational_impact': 'Unauthorized vehicle control, potential for '
                                  'large-scale vehicle hijacking',
            'systems_affected': ['Dealer portal',
                                 'Vehicle telematics modules']},
 'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Hidden registration form in '
                                          'AngularJS frontend',
                           'high_value_targets': 'Dealer accounts, vehicle '
                                                 'telematics systems'},
 'lessons_learned': 'Importance of server-side validation, secure session '
                    'management, and least-privilege access controls.',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Enforced server-side '
                                                   'invite token validation',
                                                   'Tightened session '
                                                   'management for JSESSIONID '
                                                   'cookies',
                                                   'Implemented '
                                                   'least-privilege checks on '
                                                   'administrative APIs'],
                            'root_causes': ['Lack of server-side token '
                                            'validation',
                                            'Weak session management',
                                            'Inadequate privilege controls']},
 'recommendations': ['Apply immediate patches to enforce server-side invite '
                     'token validation',
                     'Tighten session management for JSESSIONID cookies',
                     'Implement least-privilege checks on all administrative '
                     'APIs'],
 'references': [{'source': 'Security researcher Eaton Zveare'}],
 'response': {'remediation_measures': ['Enforced server-side invite token '
                                       'validation',
                                       'Tightened session management for '
                                       'JSESSIONID cookies',
                                       'Implemented least-privilege checks on '
                                       'administrative APIs']},
 'title': 'Unauthorized Access and Remote Vehicle Control via Dealer Portal '
          'Vulnerability',
 'type': 'Privilege Escalation, Remote Code Execution',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'Hidden registration form, JSESSIONID '
                            'manipulation, and lack of server-side token '
                            'validation'}