Satellite silence trips immobilizers, leaving owners stuck

Hundreds of Porsches in Russia were rendered immobile last week, raising speculation of a hack, but the German carmaker tells The Register that its vehicles are secure.

According to reports, local dealership chain Rolf traced the problem to a loss of satellite connectivity to their Vehicle Tracking Systems (VTS). This meant the systems thought a theft attempt was in progress, triggering the vehicle's engine immobilizer.

Porsche HQ was unable to help or diagnose the nature of the problem. It's understood that systems like VTS are operated by local Porsche subsidiaries or dealer networks.

But following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions, Porsche no longer exports to the country or provides after-sales service.

In a statement to The Register, a Porsche spokesperson said no other markets were affected by the issue.

"The cybersecurity of our vehicles is a central concern for Porsche," the spokesperson told ...