A new investigation of 69 unofficial connected car apps from brands like Tesla, Nissan, Renault, Ford and Volkswagen reveals that more than half use vehicle owners’ personal data, such as their credentials, without asking permission.

Kaspersky researchers explain that, although most car manufacturers offer their own applications, which offer a wide range of functions, such as opening or closing doors, adjusting the climate and turning the engine on or off, third-party apps have been gain popularity among users.

According to experts, 58% do not warn of the risks of using the car manufacturer’s original service owner account . While some third-party app developers recommend using an authorization token, if it is compromised there is a possibility that cybercriminals could access cars in the same way they would if they had the victims’ credentials.

The data show that 14% of applications do not provide the manufacturer’s contact details, which makes it impossible to report errors or even ask for more information about privacy policies . It should also be noted that 46 of the 69 applications analyzed are free or offer a trial version.

“We entrust a lot of private information and personal data to connected technology. Unfortunately, not all developers adopt a responsible attitude when storing and collecting data , which causes users to expose their personal information”, says Sergey Zorin, head of cybersecurity at Kaspersky.

Experts recommend that you only download applications from official stores and that you carefully review their permissions . You should also adopt a security solution that is capable of detecting malicious apps, as well as keeping your equipment’s operating systems up to date. car apps