Theft of BMWs by key cloning?

john_white

C_Mababejive wrote: »

So is this a possible scenario?

Public car park. Crook sees you arrive. Activates some kind of RF jammer.You flick the fob to lock the car but it hasnt locked as its blocked. You go shopping. They open car,read OBD port follow you home,clone key,come back another day?

If your car doesn't lock, best bet is not to leave it and go off shopping.

Herzlos

It's relying on people not noticing it didn't lock.

Johnnytwostep

Oh DM.....................!

forgotmyname

Have some posts been deleted?

welfayre

Last theft I heard about around my area the thieves just drove up beside the car they wanted in a Hiab truck and picked it up.

Not sure if they're behind the times up here or just more efficient lol.

faithix

You're most vulnerable if you have the "comfort access" option from BMW. This means that you don't usually press a button to lock your vehicle, you just walk away and it locks itself. In this case, you're unlikely to notice if someone has jammed the signal and the car doesn't look. BMW claimed to have made it much more difficult to create a duplicate key from the ODB port but of course it never takes the thieves long to catch up.
In regardless to wireless keyfobs in general (not just BMW), they generally use "rolling" codes, which means that each time you press the button, a different code is generated. The car can predict which code is next in the sequence and will only respond to the correct code. There was a recent news story about a device that was a jammer, code recorder and playback device in one. The first time you press the button on your fob, it would jam the signal and record the code. You'd presumably notice that the car hadn't locked, so the first thing you do is press the button again. The thief's device records the second code and transmits the first one (which is the one your car is expecting). Ok, car locked, you're maybe suspecting that the battery in your fob needs changing but you happily go off shopping. As soon as you're gone, the thief uses their device to replay the second code and unlock the car.
This system was demonstrated as working on almost every make and model or car. As I said, the criminals are never far behind the tech.
Forewarned is forearmed, so it's good to be suspicious if you suddenly have problems locking your car.

C_Mababejive

I guess the ultimate solution is the good old fashioned high security disklok..

force_ten

C_Mababejive wrote: »

What can anyone tell me about BMW key cloning? Articles i read say that you have to get access to the OBD port to clone a blank key.

Is there a way of intercepting a key signal if in close proximity to the owner when he /she operates the key fob?

Is there a danger that if you take your car somewhere to have work done, someone could access the OBD port,clone a key then later on sell on your details to an accomplice/thief?

if you are worried about the honesty of the staff at the places that you take your car for work then you should reconsider your choice of workshops

My car is six years old and still serviced and worked on only by main dealers, i am sure the techs have access to far more exotic motors than mine so i have never worried about them cloning a key for mine

a a car is probably more likely to be stolen in a house break in, some !!!!! breaks a window to your house lifts the keys off the table in the hall or the mantlepiece in the lounge a quick scout around for cash smartphones and tablets then out the house and does on in your 50K motor

C_Mababejive

#19 I dont have a BMW, i am just interested in the topic. I will say that I would never discount anyone and criminality and dishonesty can happen anywhere.

forgotmyname

Same when you take the car to be serviced, they could easily pass your keys onto someone who will pop to the locksmith and get it cloned.

Do you use the local carwash where they move your vehicle?