Extracting GPS Data from a BYD Seal Electric Vehicle

Researchers from Quarkslab analyzed the TCU telematics unit extracted from a crashed BYD Seal electric vehicle. Using a custom USB adapter and the ubireader utility, experts gained access to the device's file system.

GPS data was unencrypted, allowing the full travel history of the vehicle to be recovered. GNSS logs contain information about every movement from the factory in China to operation in the UK and dismantling in Poland.

A factory reset does not guarantee complete deletion of information from the car's memory. Almost any car manufactured in the last twenty years is equipped with a module storing owner movement data.

• Telematics units can store detailed navigation logs without encryption
• Factory resets do not fully clear physical memory modules
• Legacy onboard electronics pose a risk of personal data leaks on the secondary market

Although automakers are tightening data protection requirements, the issue remains relevant for many models. The study demonstrates the vulnerability of modern vehicles to the extraction of confidential route information.