IT Forensics · Car

Forensic examination of vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) – Forensic analysis of electronic control units

Modern vehicles are fitted with a large number of electronic control units, known as ECUs, each of which controls specific vehicle functions such as the engine, brakes or airbags, and some of which store their own diagnostic and event data.

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Access to this data and its format vary considerably depending on the control unit, manufacturer and vehicle generation, which is why an individual technical assessment is required in each case.

Why LanCologne?

Since its foundation, LanCologne has specialised in professional IT forensics. Our staff have decades of experience in the field of information technology and assist companies, solicitors, private individuals and, on a regular basis, the courts in the technical investigation of complex digital matters.

The examination is, as a matter of principle, carried out exclusively on a forensic copy, a forensic image or a data source captured in a technically equivalent manner that preserves the integrity of the evidence. The original evidence remains unchanged and is stored in a manner that preserves its integrity.

Our services

We check the availability of relevant control unit data and analyse it using our established tools, insofar as the respective format permits.

Typical areas of application

•Analysis of control unit-specific diagnostic and event data
•Supplementing accident and fault investigations
•Investigation into technical faults as a cause of accidents
•Validation of further vehicle data sources
•Judicial and non-judicial expert reports
•Assessment of vehicle incidents under insurance law

This is how an ECU analysis is carried out

Once the data has been backed up, we check which control units contain accessible diagnostic and event data. This data is extracted and analysed using our tools, and any identifiable technical limitations are documented transparently.

Why is ECU analysis relevant in a forensic context?

Data from control units can provide important technical insights into the operational status of individual vehicle systems at a specific point in time, which may be relevant to determining the cause of an incident.

As not every control unit is equally accessible, the actual scope of the analysis carried out is always documented transparently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can data be read from all of a vehicle’s control units?+
Not necessarily; this depends on the specific accessibility and the manufacturer’s documentation.
Are proprietary readers required for this?+
We deliberately do not use dedicated vehicle data extraction hardware, but instead analyse the available data using our established generic tools.
What happens if the control units are inaccessible?+
This is openly documented in the expert report as an existing technical limitation.

LanCologne – Vehicle IT Forensics, Cologne

Do you require a professional forensic investigation into „forensic analysis of vehicle electronic control units (ECUs)"? LanCologne can assist you in securing digital evidence in a manner that stands up in court, as well as in the transparent analysis of relevant vehicle artefacts.

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