How secure is keyless entry?

2

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  • jamesperrett
    jamesperrett Posts: 1,009 Forumite
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    A drinks can makes a good antenna at the sort of frequency that these keys use so watch out for anyone swigging a can of Coke near your car ;)
  • facade
    facade Posts: 7,016 Forumite
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    Looking at the article, seems more likely the "laptop" was being used to open the car, there is bound to be some way to do it wirelessly if you have access to the MB data that is "secure"
    I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....

    (except air quality and Medical Science ;))
  • Marktheshark
    Marktheshark Posts: 5,841 Forumite
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    They use RFID technology.
    ANY RFID chip can be read with the correct equipment and cloned.

    As security goes, it is useless if the thief has access to a reader.
    I do Contracts, all day every day.
  • Robisere
    Robisere Posts: 3,237 Forumite
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    My new Hyundai Tucson has keyless entry, but needs a 'foldaway' key in the key fob, to start the car. There is what looks like a standard ignition lock, but Hyundai say that any attempt to interfere with the lock, immobilises the ignition. It would need a Hyundai workshop to get it started, rectify damage and reset everything. There is no Start Button, which my previous C-Max had.
    I think this job really needs
    a much bigger hammer.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    fourcandles wrote: »
    Apparently criminals are now using a gadget to pick up the weak radio signal from the key fob in the house, amplify it and relay it to the car, which unlocks it, then they can just drive off!

    That's nonsense, over simplification for a thick audience, lies or plain old scaremongering.

    The keyfob doesn't just sit there transmitting, it's activated by proximity to the car.

    They're probably cloning the key somehow, because the car should stop if the key gets out of range.

    It of course possible that stupid owners are leaving the keys within range of the car, funnily enough people can never seem to admit when they've done something stupid. In the same way that a lot of people believe that computer viruses just magically appear out of nowhere, because too many idiots can't admit to opening that email attachment or falling for the phishing scam that claimed they'd won 3 million £ on a competition they didn't even enter and followed the link to enter their bank details.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Johno100
    Johno100 Posts: 5,259 Forumite
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    Strider590 wrote: »
    They're probably cloning the key somehow, because the car should stop if the key gets out of range.

    Yes and no. They clone the key via the OBD-II port, but no the car won't stop if the key is removed from the vehicle, just imagine how dangerous that could potentially be.
  • GabbaGabbaHey
    GabbaGabbaHey Posts: 1,077 Forumite
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    facade wrote: »
    The posh BMWs are covered with aerials and only allow the door (or boot) nearest to the key to open.
    My Toyota and my Lexus (both of which have keyless entry) work this way as well, so I'd imagine that it's fairly standard.
    shaun_from_Africa wrote: »
    Unless of course, if a laptop was used to copy the signal from the key and that signal was then stored in the laptop and could be used to start the vehicle again
    Most keyless entry systems will use a rolling code to prevent replay attacks like this.
    debtdebt wrote: »
    However, because it automatically unlocks if i try to open the door, I can never be sure that it had locked. I have to put my trust in the system to work.
    Two of my three cars have automatically folding mirrors, which is very useful in showing whether the car is locked or not.
    Philip
  • thescouselander
    thescouselander Posts: 5,542 Forumite
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    This technique has been around for a while and is very simple. Basically two thieves will approach a car each with transmitter/receiver unit which is linked to the other using a wireless link.

    Thief 1 will stand near the car with their equipment and the other near the owner's house where the key might be in range of the second receiver/transmitter - perhaps on a hook near the front door. The range of the cars signal is then extended as it is picked up by the thief 1's equipment and relayed to thief 2's equipment where is is re-transmitted to the key - the response from the key then goes back the other way and thief 1's equipment transmits the unlock code to the car and it opens/starts.

    The answer to this is simply not to leave your key near the edge of your house by the from door on on a window ledge etc.
  • bubieyehyeh
    bubieyehyeh Posts: 587 Forumite
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    I understand the relay attack works because the system designer made a stupid mistake/shortcut by detecting if the car was nearby using the received signal strength of the keys responce, rather than using something more secure like measuring time of flight of signal.

    Apparently a work around for the problem is to store the key in a metal line bag or metal box, effectively a faraday cage for the key.

    As someone else said other cars are being stolen by breaking a small window or such in order to plug in to the car data port and programming a blank key to the car or something like that.
  • Mr.Generous
    Mr.Generous Posts: 3,366 Forumite
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    How incredibly inconvenient remote central locking is, we have to go one better and use technology to invent a 'foolproof' security system. Trouble is thieves like technology too.
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