Your car’s web browser may be on the road to cyber ruin

Web browsers for desktop and mobile devices tend to receive regular security updates, but that often isn't the case for those that reside within game consoles, televisions, e-readers, cars, and other devices. These outdated, embedded browsers can leave you open to phishing and other security vulnerabilities.

Researchers affiliated with the DistriNet Research Unit of KU Leuven in Belgium have found that newly released devices may contain browsers that are several years out of date and include known security bugs.

In a research paper [PDF] presented at the USENIX Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS) 2025 in August, computer scientists Gertjan Franken, Pieter Claeys, Tom Van Goethem, and Lieven Desmet describe how they created a crowdsourced browser evaluation framework called CheckEngine to overcome the challenge of assessing products with closed-source software and firmware.

The framework functions by providing willing study participants with a unique URL that they're asked ...