this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2025
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Norway: Chinese-made electric buses have major security flaw, can be remotely stopped and disabled by their manufacturer in China, Oslo operator says

The public transport operator in Norway's capital said Tuesday that some electric buses from China have a serious flaw -- software that could allow the manufacturer, or nefarious actors, to take control of the vehicle.

Oslo's transport operator Ruter said they had tested two electric buses this summer -- one built by China's Yutong and the other by Dutch firm VDL.

The Chinese model featured a SIM card that allowed the manufacturer to remotely install software updates that made it vulnerable, whereas the Dutch model did not.

"We've found that everything that is connected poses a risk -- and that includes buses," Ruter director Bernt Reitan Jenssen told public broadcaster NRK.

"There is a risk that for example suppliers could take control, but also that other players could break into this value chain and influence the buses."

Ruter said it was now developing a digital firewall to guard against the issue.

According to other reports, the Chinese manufacturer has access to each bus’s software updates, diagnostics, and battery control systems. β€œIn theory, the bus could therefore be stopped or rendered unusable by the manufacturer,” the company said.

Ruter has reported its findings to Norway’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Arild Tjomsland, a special advisor at the University of South-Eastern Norway who helped conduct the tests, said: β€œThe Chinese bus can be stopped, turned off, or receive updates that can destroy the technology that the bus needs to operate normally.”

[...]

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[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 8 points 1 day ago

"flaw" implies they didnt do it on purpose

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

What if that sim card is "accidentally" removed from the slot? Or if someone runs with scissors, slips and cuts the antennas?

[–] plyth@feddit.org 8 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Don't forget that the Norwegian phone network can block access to all Chinese sims in case of war, and then only allow connections from known origins. With all the other Chinese electronics and cars they have to implement it anyway.

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Genuinely sick of this shit. From anyone. I can't build all my own shit. I don't need my couch spying on me, thats what my phone is for.

[–] Greddan@feddit.org 98 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Don't be a cheap cunt. Buy European.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 30 points 2 days ago

Dont forget those polish trains, this is not simply a china vs west situation, this ridiculously wide spread. Lawmakers should have been all over this years ago!

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Doesn't matter, this kind of enshittification is universal to the automotive world.

[–] mech@feddit.org 40 points 2 days ago (36 children)

It does matter, if there is ever a conflict between China and the EU, China can completely disable our infrastructure without firing a shot.
It would have the same effect as a nuke on all cities.

[–] remon@ani.social 32 points 2 days ago (5 children)

It would have the same effect as a nuke on all cities.

Yeah, just like the other day when there was a problem with the overhead line which stopped all the trams and gave me radiation poisoning.

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[–] hayvan@feddit.nl 23 points 2 days ago (12 children)

It's less about that. Buy things you actually own, independent of the supplier. Sure, I'd rather have a European supplier to control my stuff than Chinese one, it's not even a competition, but come on.

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[–] Mihies@programming.dev 35 points 2 days ago (18 children)

It's mind boggling that EU allows communication from/to vehicles and appliances (without opt-in?) and without a hardware switch that disables all communication in first place.

[–] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This is from Norway, they don't have anything to do with the EU.

[–] fatalicus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

We do, through the EEA.

[–] Mihies@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago

True, but it applies to EU as well. And the same goes to Norway or other European countries.

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[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 29 points 2 days ago (24 children)

Iveco makes ~50% of European buses. The next biggest is Mercades. Then MAN. They all do this. Weird how people came away from the article thinking this is a Chinese problem though.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

@alcoholicorn@hexbear.net

The Chinese model featured a SIM card that allowed the manufacturer to remotely install software updates that made it vulnerable, whereas the Dutch model did not.

And even if you are right, it makes a huge difference whether a European company does that or a malign foreign state-actor. For the same reasone, btw, China has been banning European and other non-Chinese companies from their domestic markets. For example, China's ban of Nokia and Ericsson from its domestic networks was said to be over national security. Europe must do the same.

Yes, that's what the article states.

Nonetheless all modern vehicle use computers that need updating. This is not a Chinese problem, it is a well known problem inherent to modern car tech. If the Dutch model's computer is air gapped, it's one of a kind.

And I agree, vehicules shouldn't be connected to the Internet.

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

europe should just ban internet connected vehicles. entertainment system? fine if it can be easily disabled. anything else? hard no!

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[–] twelvety@fedia.io 42 points 2 days ago (3 children)

So, just like any vehicle that downloads software updates from its manufacturer?

If they do that, the manufacturer can add whatever they like to specific vehicles, including kill switches.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Read the post:

The Chinese model featured a SIM card that allowed the manufacturer to remotely install software updates that made it vulnerable, whereas the Dutch model did not.

That means the dutch model can't get software updates... so like does it matter? Call me when they start disabling buses.

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[–] vodka@feddit.org 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (9 children)

There's an even bigger issue with these busses.

They were never made for the cold of Norway, and the electric heating couldn't keep them warm even in the relative mild winters that Oslo has. To fix this they installed auxiliary diesel heaters. These diesel heaters use more diesel(see edit) to keep the busses warm than the previous generation of diesel hybrid busses used to both fuel the engine, and keep the busses warm.

So the new EV busses that were supposed to lower local pollution ended up costing more and polluting more.

Edit: these heaters haven't actually been tested in a winter scenario, and the "diesel consumption exceeds the previous busses" claim is based on just looking at the spec sheet for the diesel heaters to be fitted. And it's compared to the previous plug-in hybrid busses which obviously had a lot of their fuel consumption covered by being plug-in

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