Cyberattack on Car Breathalyzer Firm Leaves DUI Offenders Unable to Drive Legally

Cyberattack on Car Breathalyzer Firm Leaves DUI Offenders Unable to Drive Legally

A cyberattack on a major car breathalyzer (ignition interlock) provider has left thousands of DUI offenders unable to start their vehicles, creating a bizarre situation where hackers have effectively imposed an indefinite driving ban on people who are legally required to use these devices.

The Attack

The breach targeted a car breathalyzer company:

• Service disruption: The breathalyzer devices require cloud connectivity to verify user identity and blood alcohol levels
• System offline: The attack took down the cloud backend, preventing devices from clearing users to drive
• Thousands affected: People legally required to use ignition interlocks were stranded

The Kafkaesque Situation

The incident created a legal paradox:

• Must use device: Court orders require offenders to use the interlock to drive
• Device won't work: The cyberattack prevents the device from functioning
• Can't drive either way: Offenders are trapped — they can't drive without the device, and the device doesn't work
• Potential violations: Missing interlock readings could trigger probation violations

The Security Week

This was part of a broader week of significant cyber events:

• Botnet takedowns: US law enforcement took down Aisuru, Kimwolf, JackSkid, and Mossad botnets (3M+ infected devices)
• iPhone vulnerabilities: Hundreds of millions of iPhones found vulnerable to takeover
• FBI phone data: FBI admitted purchasing phone location data to track Americans
• Iranian hospital hacks: Iranian hackers disrupted medical care at Maryland hospitals

The IoT Security Problem

Car breathalyzers illustrate a growing IoT security crisis:

• Cloud dependency: Devices that require cloud connectivity are single points of failure
• No fallback: No manual override when cloud systems go offline
• Life impact: Security failures in IoT devices have direct, immediate real-world consequences
• Regulatory gap: Most IoT security requirements are voluntary and inadequate

Source: WIRED | Full Report