Bendix EC80 Brake ECU

Multiple critical vulnerabilities in the Bendix EC80 Brake ECU — including stack-based buffer overflows, out-of-bounds writes, and hard-coded credentials — expose safety-critical vehicle systems such as ABS, traction control, and steering assist to potential attacker manipulation. Hard-coded credentials are a foundational design flaw that cannot be patched by end users and allow anyone with knowledge of the credentials to gain unauthorized access. The ability to inject CAN bus traffic is particularly alarming, as it could allow an attacker to directly interfere with vehicle braking and stability systems in real time. This case underscores that embedded and operational technology (OT) systems in transportation infrastructure require the same rigorous security lifecycle management as traditional IT systems.