Keyless cars...why the scare stories?

Ectophile

Here's a link to a description of the window/door security problems on some cars, including some BMWs: http://grahamcluley.com/2015/02/bmw-security-patch/

mrmot

Up until a short time ago it was possible to gain entry to some BMW group models using a phone.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/02/645k_too_much_for_a_wraith_then_just_hack_its_doors_open/

bluesnake

Here is some more reading

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pull-over-all-range-rovers-in-kensington-police-are-told-in-crackdown-on-spate-of-thefts-9979074.html

"The devices were easy to buy over the internet, he said. ... ebay for £50."

".... 24,000 cars were stolen in London last year" - Total of all car thefts, making it 6000 BMW and Rovers

And some were found http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-seize-range-rovers-stolen-from-islington-bound-for-kenya-on-cargo-ship-10028280.html

red_eye

colino wrote: »

Please don't be taken in by the BMW PR campaign. There aren't a handful of criminal masterminds using expensive, high tech signal blockers and code-readers travelling the country stealing selected cars. On BMWs a limited code generator that dumps the info. onto an easily accessed ecu and having a far from adequate cabin alarm, coupled to the easily overcome window drop feature rolls into a very vulnerable, car. How did it get Cat 1 status?
The devices for the sticky fingered are now readily available, cheaply, from China and Bulgaria, but BMW deny there is a fault: However they as a matter of course update software at service time and owners can have the weak areas patched by request.
Easiest thing owners who have the affected cars can do is resite the obd connection and leave a dummy one in its place. You might get a broken window and your werthers originals stolen in frustration, but they wont be able to drive away the car.

i would wire 24v to all pins apart from gnd, that would be worth having an extra battery in the boot

datostar

patman99 wrote: »

The trouble is, the EU passed legislation making it a requirement to allow independant garages to be able to access all parts of a vehicles ECU.

Serious question - in the light of that, where do Renault stand with their very expensive CLIP system because standard OBD programmers seem pretty useless on their cars? Not many independents like to take on the expense of initial purchase and regular updates. Maybe not such a bad thing in the light of these accounts. Also, replacement keycards, handsfree or otherwise, are a real performance to get hold of because even the franchised dealers have to get a time-limited code from Renault themselves to program a new card. Apparently there were problems in the past pinned down to certain workshops hence the institution of what seems to be a very secure system now. I've not heard of a theft problem with newer Renaults at all. Of, course, the French knockers will say that nobody wants to steal them anyway!