BMW API restrictions: Difference between revisions

(5 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{IncidentCargo

BMW has a subscription-based service called ConnectedDrive. BMW chose to restrict this service, making certain functions removed or not as powerful, causing issues for many users.{{IncidentCargo

|Company=BMW

|StartDate=2025-08-30

Line 13:

BMW ConnectedDrive is a subscription-based service that provides remote access to [[BMW]] vehicles through mobile applications & APIs, with tiers ranging from $50 to $150 per year after a free 3-year period.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-06-27 |title=What You're Really Paying For With BMW ConnectedDrive |url=https://www.bimmer-mag.com/bmw-connected-drive-price/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Bimmer Mag}}</ref> The service enables features such as remote climate control, vehicle location tracking, & electric car charging management through BMW's official mobile applications.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-01-01 |title=BMW ConnectedDrive App Subscription Products, Store and Services |url=https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/connecteddrive.html |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=BMW USA}}</ref>

Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows users to integrate various smart home devices & services, including vehicle data through manufacturer APIs. According to discussions on the BMW i4 Forum, many BMW electric car users use this integration to optimize charging based on solar panel production, time-of-use electricity rates, & home energy management systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/smarter-charging-with-home-assistant.5441/ |title=Smarter Charging with Home Assistant |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The integration was highly valued by users who paid for BMW's ConnectedDrive subscriptions & expected to maintain API access for their automation needs.

Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows users to integrate various smart home devices & services, including vehicle data through manufacturer APIs, with over 5000+ users of the BMW integration as of September 4th, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Integrations {{!}} Home Assistant Analytics |url=https://analytics.home-assistant.io/integrations/}}</ref>. This number only counts users who did not turn off analytics.

According to discussions on the BMW i4 Forum, many BMW electric car users use this integration to optimize charging based on solar panel production, time-of-use electricity rates, & home energy management systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/smarter-charging-with-home-assistant.5441/ |title=Smarter Charging with Home Assistant |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The integration was highly valued by users who paid for BMW's ConnectedDrive subscriptions & expected to maintain API access for their automation needs.

==Incident==

Line 26:

Line 28:

BMW has not issued an official press release or public statement regarding the API restrictions beyond the in-app notifications. According to user reports on GitHub, attempts to contact BMW customer service resulted in '''''"boilerplate responses citing security as a reason for these very targeted actions."'''''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The company has maintained partnerships with approved charging networks including Electrify America, Shell Recharge, & EVgo.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bmwusa.com/charging.html |title=BMW Electric Vehicle Charging |website=BMW USA |date=2025-01-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

==Consumer response==

The Home Assistant community posted & documented many integration failures through multiple GitHub issues, with issue #149750 receiving over 250 comments from users getting ~~screwed~~ by this.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-09-04 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Users report complete loss of automated EV charging management & broken solar panel integration logic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bmw-integration-no-support-from-september-for-thirtparty-providers-like-ha/916187 |title=BMW integration: No support from September for thirtparty providers like HA |website=Home Assistant Community |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

The Home Assistant community posted & documented many integration failures through multiple GitHub issues, with issue #149750 receiving over 250 comments from users getting negatively affected by this.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-09-04 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Users report complete loss of automated EV charging management & broken solar panel integration logic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bmw-integration-no-support-from-september-for-thirtparty-providers-like-ha/916187 |title=BMW integration: No support from September for thirtparty providers like HA |website=Home Assistant Community |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

According to forum discussions, affected users attempted multiple technical solutions between August 30 and September 3, 2025, including polling rate reduction, QR code re-authentication, & regional API switching.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/anyone-using-home-assistant-for-their-i4-with-bmw-connected-drive.9126/ |title=anyone using Home Assistant for their i4 with BMW connected drive? |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2025-09-02 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Community members suggested some technical solutions like quota-aware polling with exponential backoff & improved error differentiation between quota & authentication failures.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/151500 |title=BMW integration should handle call quota error · Issue #151500 |website=GitHub |date=2025-08-25 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

It has been reported that some users began exploring alternative platforms, with discussions on the openHAB community forums about migrating from Home Assistant due to the BMW restrictions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openhab.org/addons/bindings/mybmw/ |title=MyBMW - Bindings |website=openHAB |date=2025-09-03 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> According to Beebop AI's analysis, utilities faced financial penalties for failing to meet flexibility commitments when losing EV load-shaping capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.beebop.ai/blog/bmw-api-changes-could-disrupt-utilities-using-unapproved-ev-connections |title=BMW API Changes Could Disrupt Utilities Using Unapproved EV Connections |website=Beebop AI |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

==HomeAssistant & security==

BMW has a long track record of security vulnerabilities, none of which have ever been linked to Home Assistant.

==Past data security incidents==

BMW's justification for API restrictions cited ''"security"'' concerns, yet BMW has a documented history of severe security failures that exposed millions of customers to risks far greater than any posed by home automation integrations.

===ConnectedDrive vulnerability (2015)===

In 2015, security researcher Dieter Spaar discovered critical flaws in BMW's ConnectedDrive system that left 2.2 million vehicles vulnerable to remote attacks. The vulnerabilities included using identical symmetric encryption keys across all vehicles, failing to encrypt communications between cars & BMW's backend servers, & relying on the obsolete DES encryption standard.<ref>{{cite web |title=How To Hack a BMW: Details On the Security Flaw That Affected 2.2 Million Cars |website=Slashdot |date=2015-02-07 |url=https://it.slashdot.org/story/15/02/07/0432254/how-to-hack-a-bmw-details-on-the-security-flaw-that-affected-22-million-cars |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> These basic security oversights allowed attackers to remotely unlock vehicles by standing within a few hundred feet with cellular network emulation equipment.

===Multiple vehicle vulnerabilities (2018)===

Keen Security Lab researchers identified 14 vulnerabilities affecting BMW i Series, X Series, 3 Series, 5 Series & 7 Series vehicles. The flaws enabled both local & remote attacks on infotainment systems, Telematics Control Units, & CAN bus controls.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Fixes Security Flaws in Several Well-Known Car Models |website=Bleeping Computer |date=2018-05-23 |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/bmw-fixes-security-flaws-in-several-well-known-car-models/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Six vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely via Bluetooth & cellular networks without authentication.

===APT infiltration (2019)===

The Vietnamese state-sponsored hacking group OceanLotus (APT32) breached BMW's corporate networks & remained undetected from March 2019 until December 2019. The attackers deployed Cobalt Strike malware for espionage & remote control.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Infiltrated by Hackers Hunting for Automotive Trade Secrets |website=Bleeping Computer |date=2019-12-06 |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/bmw-infiltrated-by-hackers-hunting-for-automotive-trade-secrets/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> BMW's security team discovered the breach but monitored the hackers for months before finally removing them from the network.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Hacked - OceanLotus Hackers Group Penetrate the BMW Networks |website=GBHackers |date=2019-12-07 |url=https://gbhackers.com/bmw-hacked/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

===UK customer database breach (2020)===

The KelvinSecurity hacking group compromised personal information of 384,319 BMW customers in the UK & offered it for sale on darknet forums. The exposed data included names, email addresses, vehicle registration numbers, residential addresses, & dealership information from 2016-2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Data Breach Affects 384,319 BMW Customers in the U.K. |website=CISO Magazine |date=2020-07-06 |url=https://cisomag.com/bmw-data-breach/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The database was allegedly obtained through a call center handling customer information for multiple automotive brands.

===BMW France ransomware attack (2023)===

The Play ransomware group claimed to have breached BMW France's systems in March 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Data Breach Puts Customers Information At Risk! |website=The Cyber Express |date=2023-03-29 |url=https://thecyberexpress.com/bmw-data-breach-customers-information-risk/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> In 2022, BMW France had previously suffered a cybersecurity incident when its Twitter & Instagram accounts were compromised.

===Azure misconfiguration (2024)===

In early 2024, researchers discovered a misconfigured Microsoft Azure storage bucket that exposed BMW's private keys, credentials & other sensitive internal data to the public internet.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Security Error Left Valuable Private Company Data Exposed Online |website=TechRadar |date=2024-03-14 |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/bmw-security-error-left-valuable-private-company-data-exposed-online |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>

===Hong Kong dealer breach (2024)===

BMW Concessionaires in Hong Kong suffered a breach in July 2024 exposing personal data of approximately 14,000 customers, including names & mobile numbers.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Hong Kong Data Breach Exposes Customer Information |website=Daily Security Review |date=2024-07-05 |url=https://dailysecurityreview.com/security-spotlight/bmw-data-breach/ |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>

===BMW Financial Services breach (2025)===

In February 2025, BMW Financial Services North America reported a breach via its vendor AIS InfoSource LP affecting nearly 2,000 individuals, with exposed data including names, Social Security numbers, account numbers & more.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Financial Services Data Breach Affects Nearly 2,000 Customers |website=Claim Depot |date=2025-03-01 |url=https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/bmw-financial-services-data-breach-2025 |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>

===Pattern of security failures===

These incidents demonstrate BMW's inability to implement basic security practices, including encryption, access controls, & breach detection. The company's claim that restricting legitimate customer access to their own vehicle data is necessary for ''"security"'' , which to users appears contradictory given their documented failures to secure data through proper technical measures rather than access restrictions.

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{IncidentCargo
+BMW has a subscription-based service called ConnectedDrive. BMW chose to restrict this service, making certain functions removed or not as powerful, causing issues for many users.{{IncidentCargo
 |Company=BMW
 |StartDate=2025-08-30
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 BMW ConnectedDrive is a subscription-based service that provides remote access to [[BMW]] vehicles through mobile applications & APIs, with tiers ranging from $50 to $150 per year after a free 3-year period.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-06-27 |title=What You're Really Paying For With BMW ConnectedDrive |url=https://www.bimmer-mag.com/bmw-connected-drive-price/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Bimmer Mag}}</ref> The service enables features such as remote climate control, vehicle location tracking, & electric car charging management through BMW's official mobile applications.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-01-01 |title=BMW ConnectedDrive App Subscription Products, Store and Services |url=https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/connecteddrive.html |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=BMW USA}}</ref>
-Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows users to integrate various smart home devices & services, including vehicle data through manufacturer APIs. According to discussions on the BMW i4 Forum, many BMW electric car users use this integration to optimize charging based on solar panel production, time-of-use electricity rates, & home energy management systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/smarter-charging-with-home-assistant.5441/ |title=Smarter Charging with Home Assistant |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The integration was highly valued by users who paid for  BMW's ConnectedDrive subscriptions & expected to maintain API access for their automation needs.
+Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows users to integrate various smart home devices & services, including vehicle data through manufacturer APIs, with over 5000+ users of the BMW integration as of September 4th, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Integrations {{!}} Home Assistant Analytics |url=https://analytics.home-assistant.io/integrations/}}</ref>. This number only counts users who did not turn off analytics.
+According to discussions on the BMW i4 Forum, many BMW electric car users use this integration to optimize charging based on solar panel production, time-of-use electricity rates, & home energy management systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/smarter-charging-with-home-assistant.5441/ |title=Smarter Charging with Home Assistant |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The integration was highly valued by users who paid for  BMW's ConnectedDrive subscriptions & expected to maintain API access for their automation needs.
 ==Incident==
@@ Line 26: / Line 28: @@
 BMW has not issued an official press release or public statement regarding the API restrictions beyond the in-app notifications. According to user reports on GitHub, attempts to contact BMW customer service resulted in '''''"boilerplate responses citing security as a reason for these very targeted actions."'''''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The company has maintained partnerships with approved charging networks including Electrify America, Shell Recharge, & EVgo.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bmwusa.com/charging.html |title=BMW Electric Vehicle Charging |website=BMW USA |date=2025-01-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
 ==Consumer response==
-The Home Assistant community posted & documented many integration failures through multiple GitHub issues, with issue #149750 receiving over 250 comments from users getting screwed by this.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-09-04 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Users report complete loss of automated EV charging management & broken solar panel integration logic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bmw-integration-no-support-from-september-for-thirtparty-providers-like-ha/916187 |title=BMW integration: No support from September for thirtparty providers like HA |website=Home Assistant Community |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
+The Home Assistant community posted & documented many integration failures through multiple GitHub issues, with issue #149750 receiving over 250 comments from users getting negatively affected by this.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/149750 |title=Upcoming API changes notification from BMW · Issue #149750 |website=GitHub |date=2025-09-04 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Users report complete loss of automated EV charging management & broken solar panel integration logic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bmw-integration-no-support-from-september-for-thirtparty-providers-like-ha/916187 |title=BMW integration: No support from September for thirtparty providers like HA |website=Home Assistant Community |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
 According to forum discussions, affected users attempted multiple technical solutions between August 30 and September 3, 2025, including polling rate reduction, QR code re-authentication, & regional API switching.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.i4talk.com/threads/anyone-using-home-assistant-for-their-i4-with-bmw-connected-drive.9126/ |title=anyone using Home Assistant for their i4 with BMW connected drive? |website=BMW i4 Forum |date=2025-09-02 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Community members suggested some technical solutions like quota-aware polling with exponential backoff & improved error differentiation between quota & authentication failures.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/151500 |title=BMW integration should handle call quota error · Issue #151500 |website=GitHub |date=2025-08-25 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
 It has been reported that some users began exploring alternative platforms, with discussions on the openHAB community forums about migrating from Home Assistant due to the BMW restrictions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openhab.org/addons/bindings/mybmw/ |title=MyBMW - Bindings |website=openHAB |date=2025-09-03 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> According to Beebop AI's analysis, utilities faced financial penalties for failing to meet flexibility commitments when losing EV load-shaping capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.beebop.ai/blog/bmw-api-changes-could-disrupt-utilities-using-unapproved-ev-connections |title=BMW API Changes Could Disrupt Utilities Using Unapproved EV Connections |website=Beebop AI |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
+==HomeAssistant & security==
+BMW has a long track record of security vulnerabilities, none of which have ever been linked to Home Assistant.
+==Past data security incidents==
+BMW's justification for API restrictions cited ''"security"'' concerns, yet BMW has a documented history of severe security failures that exposed millions of customers to risks far greater than any posed by home automation integrations.
+===ConnectedDrive vulnerability (2015)===
+In 2015, security researcher Dieter Spaar discovered critical flaws in BMW's ConnectedDrive system that left 2.2 million vehicles vulnerable to remote attacks. The vulnerabilities included using identical symmetric encryption keys across all vehicles, failing to encrypt communications between cars & BMW's backend servers, & relying on the obsolete DES encryption standard.<ref>{{cite web |title=How To Hack a BMW: Details On the Security Flaw That Affected 2.2 Million Cars |website=Slashdot |date=2015-02-07 |url=https://it.slashdot.org/story/15/02/07/0432254/how-to-hack-a-bmw-details-on-the-security-flaw-that-affected-22-million-cars |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> These basic security oversights allowed attackers to remotely unlock vehicles by standing within a few hundred feet with cellular network emulation equipment.
+===Multiple vehicle vulnerabilities (2018)===
+Keen Security Lab researchers identified 14 vulnerabilities affecting BMW i Series, X Series, 3 Series, 5 Series & 7 Series vehicles. The flaws enabled both local & remote attacks on infotainment systems, Telematics Control Units, & CAN bus controls.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Fixes Security Flaws in Several Well-Known Car Models |website=Bleeping Computer |date=2018-05-23 |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/bmw-fixes-security-flaws-in-several-well-known-car-models/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Six vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely via Bluetooth & cellular networks without authentication.
+===APT infiltration (2019)===
+The Vietnamese state-sponsored hacking group OceanLotus (APT32) breached BMW's corporate networks & remained undetected from March 2019 until December 2019. The attackers deployed Cobalt Strike malware for espionage & remote control.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Infiltrated by Hackers Hunting for Automotive Trade Secrets |website=Bleeping Computer |date=2019-12-06 |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/bmw-infiltrated-by-hackers-hunting-for-automotive-trade-secrets/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> BMW's security team discovered the breach but monitored the hackers for months before finally removing them from the network.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Hacked - OceanLotus Hackers Group Penetrate the BMW Networks |website=GBHackers |date=2019-12-07 |url=https://gbhackers.com/bmw-hacked/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
+===UK customer database breach (2020)===
+The KelvinSecurity hacking group compromised personal information of 384,319 BMW customers in the UK & offered it for sale on darknet forums. The exposed data included names, email addresses, vehicle registration numbers, residential addresses, & dealership information from 2016-2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Data Breach Affects 384,319 BMW Customers in the U.K. |website=CISO Magazine |date=2020-07-06 |url=https://cisomag.com/bmw-data-breach/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> The database was allegedly obtained through a call center handling customer information for multiple automotive brands.
+===BMW France ransomware attack (2023)===
+The Play ransomware group claimed to have breached BMW France's systems in March 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Data Breach Puts Customers Information At Risk! |website=The Cyber Express |date=2023-03-29 |url=https://thecyberexpress.com/bmw-data-breach-customers-information-risk/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> In 2022, BMW France had previously suffered a cybersecurity incident when its Twitter & Instagram accounts were compromised.
+===Azure misconfiguration (2024)===
+In early 2024, researchers discovered a misconfigured Microsoft Azure storage bucket that exposed BMW's private keys, credentials & other sensitive internal data to the public internet.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Security Error Left Valuable Private Company Data Exposed Online |website=TechRadar |date=2024-03-14 |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/bmw-security-error-left-valuable-private-company-data-exposed-online |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>
+===Hong Kong dealer breach (2024)===
+BMW Concessionaires in Hong Kong suffered a breach in July 2024 exposing personal data of approximately 14,000 customers, including names & mobile numbers.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Hong Kong Data Breach Exposes Customer Information |website=Daily Security Review |date=2024-07-05 |url=https://dailysecurityreview.com/security-spotlight/bmw-data-breach/ |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>
+===BMW Financial Services breach (2025)===
+In February 2025, BMW Financial Services North America reported a breach via its vendor AIS InfoSource LP affecting nearly 2,000 individuals, with exposed data including names, Social Security numbers, account numbers & more.<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Financial Services Data Breach Affects Nearly 2,000 Customers |website=Claim Depot |date=2025-03-01 |url=https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/bmw-financial-services-data-breach-2025 |access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>
+===Pattern of security failures===
+These incidents demonstrate BMW's inability to implement basic security practices, including encryption, access controls, & breach detection. The company's claim that restricting legitimate customer access to their own vehicle data is necessary for ''"security"'' , which to users appears contradictory given their documented failures to secure data through proper technical measures rather than access restrictions.
 ==References==