(Bloomberg) -- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is offering asoftware patch to close a loophole that let two hackers takecontrol of a moving Jeep sport utility vehicle in anincident spotlighting the vulnerability of connected autos.

The company responded a day after Wired magazine published a story about thesoftware programmers who were able to take overa Jeep Cherokee while it was being driven on a Missourihighway. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement Tuesday that it’s notaware of any real-world unauthorized remote hack into any of itsvehicles.

“This is a very big wake-up call for the industry that showsthey have a weakness,” said Egil Juliussen, director of researchfor consultant IHS’s automotive technology group. “They are worriedabout it and thinking about what they need to do. But it will beawhile before cars are safe from a hacking attack.”

By 2022, 82.5 million autos worldwide will be connected to theInternet, more than three times the 26.5 million connected carsthis year, according to IHS. In seven years, 78 percent of the carssold globally will be connected, up from 30 percent now, theconsulting firm said.

Fiat Chrysler said that “after becoming aware of thevulnerabilities in some 2013 and 2014 vehicles equipped with the8.4-inch touchscreen systems, FCA and several supplies worked tofix the vulnerabilities in model year 2015 vehicles.”

Download offer

The software update patches the hole in the vehicles’entertainment system. Owners can download the fix to a thumb drivefrom a Fiat Chrysler website and install it in 30 minutes to 45minutes or have the update done at a dealership, the company said.The automaker plans to contact customers who may be affected andhas distributed the update to dealers.

The models affected include 2013 and 2014 Ram pickups and2014 Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs, as well assome 2015 Chrysler 200 cars.

Automakers are starting to deploy anti-hacking software, but thedefenses are not strong yet, Juliussen said.

“Four or five years ago, there was nothing” protecting cars fromhackers, he said. “Today, the automakers are starting to put thingsin place, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Cars are not as rich a target as banks and retailers, which havecredit card information and Social Security data hackers can use tomake money. Because the vehicles lack such personal data, the autoindustry probably won’t face a concerted threat yet from hackers,Juliussen said.

“There aren’t many ways to earn money from hacking a car,” hesaid. “You could wreak havoc with traffic flow or cyber warfare,but that’s not the sort of thing an average hacker would do.”

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