The manipulation of code in a vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) to exploit vulnerabilities and gain control over other ECUs in the vehicle is known as vehicle hacking or car hacking. It can result in taking control of various systems such as the entertainment center, speedometer, fuel gauge, brakes, steering, airbags, and accelerometers.
Cyber security in cars is currently at the top of the agenda for manufacturers, with modern vehicles containing dozens of computers that are not just to run GPS or play music.