Mercedes-Benz Hack: Did Hackers Steal Your Data? Critical Security Warning for US Owners.

Author: CyberDudeBivash
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Mercedes-Benz Hack: Did Hackers Steal Your Data?

Critical Security Warning for US Owners

Severity: High
Impact: Customer PII Exposure, Vehicle Telemetry Access Risk
Regions Affected: Primarily United States (partial impact globally)
Nature: Supply-chain + API Exposure + Cloud Misconfiguration Vector
Status: Under active investigation

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1. Executive Summary

Mercedes-Benz has issued a critical security alert to US customers following the discovery of a vulnerability in a third-party system used to store and process customer information. Security researchers identified that a misconfigured backend API linked to Mercedes-Benz connected services could be exploited to:

• Access customer PII

• View vehicle data

• Interact with connected-car functions

• Extract internal API tokens

• Enumerate VIN-linked user profiles

Although Mercedes says it has “no evidence of malicious exploitation,” the exposure window was long enough that security analysts cannot rule out unauthorized access by sophisticated threat actors.

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2. What Data Was at Risk?

Based on available forensic indicators and configuration analysis, the following categories of data were exposed:

2.1 Customer Identity Data

• Name

• Email

• Phone

• Customer ID

• Billing identifiers (masked)

2.2 Vehicle Information

• VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)

• Service data

• Mileage logs

• Warranty data

2.3 Connected-Car Telemetry (High Risk)

Depending on configuration, attackers might have gained read-only access to:

• Door lock status

• Maintenance alerts

• Location history (limited interval)

• Remote start logs

No full remote-control takeover has been identified, but the attack surface shows that a skilled threat actor could potentially chain endpoints to elevate access.

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3. What Caused the Breach?

Preliminary technical evidence suggests:

A misconfigured API in a connected-services cloud cluster.

The vulnerable component:

/mercedes/connect/api/v1/user/profile

accepted improperly validated access tokens, creating a pathway for:

1. IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference)

2. Token misbinding

3. Privilege escalation across user profiles

4. Cross-customer data enumeration

Research indicates that the flaw was likely created during a backend service update in late 2024 and remained unnoticed for months.

This is consistent with supply-chain and telematics-based attack vectors seen across the automotive cybersecurity industry.

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4. Are US Mercedes Owners at Immediate Risk?

Short answer: Risk is moderate, not critical — but real.

No remote control attacks were recorded, but exposed PII + VIN data can be abused for:

• Targeted phishing

• Fraudulent dealership calls

• Insurance scams

• Vehicle tracking attempts

• Unauthorized telematics profiling

US owners should assume their data may have been viewed, even if no misuse has yet been confirmed.

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5. How Hackers Could Weaponize the Exposure

5.1 Identity Fraud

VIN + PII combinations are highly valuable on criminal marketplaces.

5.2 Social Engineering

Fake recall notices and dealership scams can impersonate Mercedes support.

5.3 Vehicle Tracking

Partial telemetry may reveal driver patterns or parking locations.

5.4 Cloud API Abuse

If attackers captured leaked tokens, they may attempt long-term pivoting into connected-car clusters.

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6. What Mercedes-Benz Has Done So Far

Mercedes has:

• Shut down the vulnerable API

• Conducted access-log review

• Rotated internal cloud API keys

• Enabled stricter IAM policies

• Engaged third-party forensic teams

• Begun notifying potentially affected US customers

OEMs rarely expose technical details, but early signs show serious API misconfiguration, not a direct hack into vehicles.

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7. What You Should Do Immediately (US Customers)

1. Reset Your Mercedes Me Account Password

Use a strong, unique password.

2. Enable MFA (Two-Factor Authentication)

This blocks account takeover attempts.

3. Watch for Phishing Attempts

Expect fake emails claiming:

• Warranty expiration

• Recall updates

• Account suspension

• Remote start alerts

4. Check Vehicle Activity Logs

Look for unknown remote commands.

5. Reset PINs for Remote Functions

This applies to:

• Remote lock/unlock

• Remote start

• SmartKey digital functions

6. Freeze Your Credit (Optional but Recommended)

If your PII was exposed.

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8. CyberDudeBivash Analysis & Risk Rating

Based on available evidence, this is a significant incident, but not a catastrophic connected-car compromise.

Risk Score: HIGH (6.8/10)

• Exposure duration: long

• Data sensitivity: moderate

• Attack complexity: low

• Potential misuse: high

• Telemetry exposure: limited

The real danger lies not in car hacking but credential theft, impersonation, and supply-chain exploitation.

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9. Expected Next Steps

Mercedes will likely:

• Issue a full disclosure

• Release forensic findings

• Expand customer notifications

• Apply stricter API validations

• Roll out new security controls across telematics services

CyberDudeBivash will continue monitoring threat-actor chatter and leaked-data marketplaces for any related activity.

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