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$100 Receivers Can Track Cars Via Tire Sensors, Study Finds

Researchers urge automakers, regulators to add privacy safeguards to safety sensors built without security.

Overview

  • IMDEA Networks and European partners passively collected over 6 million TPMS transmissions from more than 20,000 vehicles in a 10‑week measurement campaign.
  • Each tire sensor broadcasts a fixed, unencrypted identifier that enables reliable reidentification of individual vehicles.
  • Radio signals were captured through walls and from moving cars at distances beyond 50 meters using low‑cost equipment.
  • Correlating signals from all four tires let the team reconstruct arrivals, departures, and recurring schedules, with pressure data hinting at vehicle type or load.
  • The work will be presented at IEEE WONS 2026, and the authors say current vehicle cybersecurity rules do not explicitly address TPMS vulnerabilities.