Remote EV Shutdowns Expose India’s Connected Device Security Gap

The shutdowns point to a widespread reliance on generic third-party BMS software without adequate authentication or access controls

The controversy also raises broader questions around data privacy as many BMS apps access and generate data such as GPS location, driver behaviour and vehicle usage patterns

The same concerns extend to the broader IoT ecosystem, especially imported and white-labelled devices

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Social media feeds over the past week have been flooded with videos of people accessing the battery management systems (BMS) of electric rickshaws and loaders to remotely disable the vehicles. While the videos may have amused the pranksters and viewers, they left drivers stranded, disrupted trips, and raised concerns about the security of connected EV systems.

At the centre of the controversy are the BMS that communicate through widely used mobile applications such as BAT BMS, Lossigy and Epoch Li-ion, with a few of these apps being of Chinese origin. These apps connect to the BMS over Bluetooth, allowing users to monitor battery health, charge levels, voltage, temperature, and discharge behaviour.

A BMS is an embedded controller inside a lithium-ion battery pack that monitors these parameters while also preventing overcharging and........

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