Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia recently provided free anti-theft security updates on millions of its vehicles. The reason for the incident was the “Kia Challenge” event that went viral on TikTok last August, which can be stolen with just a USB cable.
The “Kia Challenge” campaign was launched on TikTok by the theft gang “the Kia Boyz”, showing that anyone can force their way into a Hyundai or Kia car using just a USB cable.
It’s unclear exactly how many Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen as a result of the “Kia Challenge,” but media figures put the number in the thousands.
Hyundai and Kia are now offering free anti-theft software updates for affected vehicles, covering an estimated 3.8 million Hyundai vehicles and 4.5 million Kia vehicles, for a total of 8.3 million vehicles.
