TLDR Tech / InfoSec
Electric Motorcycles Don't Have To Be Security Nightmares, But This One Was
Researchers Persephone Karnstein and Mitchell Marasch presented at BSides Seattle 2026 how they achieved full firmware control over a Zero Motorcycle by exploiting its OTA update mechanism and a VIN validation bypass that accepted any VIN-structured code rather than a registered one. The attack surface extended to the battery management system, enabling a conceptual payload capable of triggering a battery fire, disabling the brakes via OTA, and blocking factory resets that would otherwise reverse the compromise.
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