Hackers lock out Li Auto EV owners in Russia demanding ransom
Original title: Risky Bulletin: Hackers lock out and extort Li Auto EV owners in Russia
Hackers demand $500-$600 to unlock hijacked Li Auto cars in Russia using leaked VINs and eSIMs; number of victims likely exceeds 20.
Hackers are taking over master user accounts of Li Auto smart EVs sold in Russia by re-registering eSIMs with leaked VINs. At least 20 owners confirmed the attacks, with the number likely higher. The company is aware of the incidents and is working on email-based account registration to prevent future hijacks.
Unconfirmed: Exact number of hijacked cars unknown; Li Auto response details pending
- Hackers demand $500-$600 ransom to regain car access
- Demands reduced from over $3,000 last year
- Second wave after July 2025 incident
- Li Auto car club co-founder confirmed at least 20 cases
- Company developing email registration for exported cars
Impact: unauthorized account takeover and vehicle lockout
| Product | Affected |
|---|---|
| Li Auto smart EV cars | — |
| eSender eSIM service | — |
- 1.Register master accounts using email addresses
- 2.Upgrade to email-based registration when available
- Products
- Li Auto smart EV cars
- Countries
- Russia
From the original article
12 min read at news.risky.biz
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By Catalin Cimpanu · news.risky.biz
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