Fiat Chrysler Recalls 1.4m Cars After Jeep Hack

Fiat Chrysler has announced it is recalling 1.4 million vehicles in the US - after hackers proved they could take control of an SUV over the internet and drive it into a ditch.

The recall affects cars and trucks from three of the company's brands - Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler (Xetra: 710000 - news) .

Models manufactured from 2013 onwards will require a software update to stop vehicles from being exploited remotely.

Earlier this week, a video was released showing two well-known security researchers using a mobile phone and a laptop to control a Jeep Cherokee's steering wheel, brakes, speed and GPS.

After locking the car's doors, with a reporter for Wired magazine inside, they forced the SUV off the road and into a grassy ditch.

Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek performed the hack by breaking into the Jeep's UConnect system, which is designed to allow motorists to start their car and unlock the doors through an app.

The process for fixing the security flaw is not automatic - and Fiat Chrysler customers will need to insert a flash drive with updated software into their car's USB socket.

Concerns over the safety of internet-connected vehicles have been raised before. In February, BMW (Swiss: BMW.SW - news) had to fix a security flaw which allowed hackers to remotely unlock car doors.

In a statement, Fiat Chrysler said it was "unaware of any injuries related to software exploitation".

It also stressed that the hacking conducted by Wired magazine "required unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code" - making a real-life attack unlikely.

Only vehicles equipped with a 8.4-inch touchscreen will need updating, and the full list of affected models is:

:: 2013-2015 MY Dodge Viper specialty vehicles

:: 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups

:: 2013-2015 Ram 3500, 4500, 5500 Chassis Cabs

:: 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs

:: 2014-2015 Dodge Durango SUVs

:: 2015 MY Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans

:: 2015 Dodge Challenger sports coupes