Auto Tech Startup IQ.Lvbs Accuses Rival Comma.ai of IP-Linked Hack Attempts
Automotive tech startup IQ.Lvbs alleges it was targeted by hack attempts originating from an IP address associated with rival Comma.ai, in a dispute over AI driving models.
Automotive tech startup IQ.Lvbs has claimed that its systems were subjected to repeated hack attempts aimed at stealing its proprietary NovaSpark AI driving model. The company alleges that these attacks, which occurred between October 7 and October 14, originated from an IP address linked to its competitor, Comma.ai.
IQ.Lvbs first introduced NovaSpark, the foundational model for its IQ.Pilot app, in a private beta within the Comma.ai Discord channel on October 3. This was necessitated by NovaSpark's reliance on Comma.ai's camera hardware, which is designed for self-driving vehicles. Shortly after the alleged attacks began, IQ.Lvbs reported that its team was banned from the Comma.ai Discord server, and testers using IQ.Lvbs' software were also reportedly removed from the IQ.Pilot Discord channel.
According to IQ.Lvbs, the motive behind the alleged attacks and bans stems from the competitive threat posed by NovaSpark. The startup asserts that its model is significantly more advanced than Comma.ai's current offerings, which could undermine Comma.ai's business model of selling hardware powered by its AI. "Our model, NovaSpark, is a good deal ahead of Comma's latest small and large models, which directly threatens their core business of making AI models good enough to sell their hardware," stated "Cat," a UI/UX designer at IQ.Lvbs.
Adding to the tension, a Discord message from user "Torq_boi," identified as Comma.ai's CTO Harald Schäfer, suggested that NovaSpark was derived from Comma.ai's Rebellious Hope model. Schäfer's message, posted on October 8, stated, "But don’t lie to people about what you’re doing, and saying it’s not a finetune of existing comma models when it is. That’s not cool.”
IQ.Lvbs vehemently disputes this claim, asserting that NovaSpark was developed independently and that Comma.ai's assertion does not hold up under scrutiny, especially since Comma.ai does not possess NovaSpark's model weights or ONNX files. The company provided log data, flagging the username "haraschax"—linked to Schäfer on GitHub—as originating from Comma.ai IP addresses during the alleged attack period.
Comma.ai and Harald Schäfer did not respond to requests for comment from The Register. The user "Torq_boi" also did not respond to direct messages. This dispute unfolds as Comma.ai is currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding whether its driving automation technology contributed to five crashes and three fatalities.
IQ.Lvbs indicated that it is exploring legal recourse and considering involving law enforcement authorities in response to the alleged cyber incidents. The company's stance is that the alleged actions by Comma.ai constitute a serious breach of competitive conduct and potentially illegal activity.