Hackable, Digital License Plates: What Could Go Wrong?
by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Arizona Mirror
January 3, 2025
Security researchers have uncovered an exploit that allows a person to hack the digital license plates that Arizona allows drivers to use, creating an avenue for bad actors to change the license plate number.
First reported by Wired, security researchers with IOActive were able to jailbreak a digital license plate and display whatever message or image they wanted on the device. Jailbreaking is the act of removing restrictions on a smart device to allow the installation of unauthorized software.
The license plates are made by a company called Reviver, the leading manufacturer of digital plates in the United States. Security researcher Josep Rodriguez was able to remove a sticker on the back of the plate and attach a cable allowing him to change the plate’s firmware. Rodriguez was then able to use Bluetooth commands to change the display to what he wanted.
The security researcher pointed out to Wired that this vulnerability could allow drivers with digital plates to evade tolls, speeding tickets and more by changing their plate. Alternatively, someone could hack an unsuspecting person’s plate and display images that could get them in trouble with law enforcement, like the plate of a stolen vehicle.