Investigation launched after discovery that Chinese supplier had remote access to vehicles’ control systems

Authorities in Denmark are urgently studying how to close an apparent security loophole in hundreds of Chinese-made electric buses that enables them to be remotely deactivated.

The investigation comes after transport authorities in Norway, where the Yutong buses are also in service, found that the Chinese supplier had remote access for software updates and diagnostics to the vehicles’ control systems – which could be exploited to affect buses while in transit

  • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    The way it was done in this case was by ITT offers.

    The company Movia, which is owned by the public municipalities and regions, put out a request for busses, including the requirements.

    Once the request is out there, they usually do have to accept the cheapest offer that fulfills the requirements, unless there are special situations.

    So, the requirements probably didn’t account for this remote controlled thing. Responsibility should by placed at the board of the company.

    It would be interesting to read the original request. The terms are usually quite strict, which can also be a problem, for instance if nobody can fulfill them or if the requirements are too specific so only one company can make an offer etc.

    Maybe they’re more lax in the company than if it had been a direct purchase from the municipality. It’s quite unusual to see any Chinese suppliers for this sort of thing, because they don’t pay their employees enough. It’s standard terms in all public purchases that suppliers must have employment terms on level with local Danish union workers in the same sectors.

    Just another reminder of why it’s not a good idea to privatize public infrastructure…

    • Riddick3001@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      3 days ago

      So, the requirements probably didn’t account for this remote controlled thing.

      Probably, something like this. But if there was a procurement interview with a Q&A it should’ve been discussed, imo. I wonder if the tech people got a say.

      • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
        3·
        3 days ago

        Oh they were warned from the defence department a few years ago. It’s been an ongoing process since 2019. Other politicians also made an inquiry about how much it would cost to choose European suppliers in July this year, which showed that equivalent busses from Europe would cost up to 36 million dkk more and that European companies couldn’t actually deliver. At least we know what the savings were, so the question is just what the fix will cost…

        I wouldn’t be surprised if the current news is more about the upcoming election than anything. The city busses aren’t that critical in Copenhagen. They have have trains, trams and metros too and everything is in bicycle distance, so shutting down the busses would be a minor inconvenience to most people. It’s not really a serious threat. Also, there really isn’t a threat. It’s only a potential in worst case scenario fan fiction.