Automotive Software Security Vulnerability Analysis with a Hackathon: A Design Science Study

Abstract

Today's vehicles are more innovative and connected than ever and will continue to be so as innovation in the automotive industry keeps moving forward. With this connectivity, remote vehicle hacking becomes a greater threat as it has been proven as a capable approach of altering the functions of a vehicle in motion. This threat creates a heightened concern in the software security development of vehicles. This study will attempt to introduce an additional platform, to the already used in-house penetration testing, for detecting software security vulnerabilities through a hackathon in collaboration with the HoliSec project conducted by the Viktoria Institute. Through a qualitative design science approach and completion of two regulative cycle iterations, artifacts and templates for setting up a hackathon for software security vulnerability detection in the automotive domain were designed, constructed and evaluated.