Digital license plates, already legal to buy in a growing number of states and to drive with nationwide, offer a few perks over their sheet metal predecessors. They can be changed on the fly to display novelty messages or to flag a stolen car. However, a security researcher has discovered a vulnerability in the leading vendor of these plates, Reviver, that allows them to be jailbroken and reprogrammed to display any characters or image. This could potentially be used to evade traffic tickets and tolls, or even frame someone else for these offenses. The vulnerability also allows drivers to use the plates’ features without paying the monthly subscription fee. Since the issue exists at the hardware level, it cannot be easily patched with a software update. This poses a significant problem as digital license plates continue to be rolled out across the country. Policymakers and law enforcement should be aware of this issue and take necessary precautions to prevent misuse of these plates.
