Cars Being Stolen With Keyless Entry

Car owners who toss keys on tables or in front of their front door may be unwittingly giving thieves the ability to take over the signal. This relay attack is just one of the high-tech methods criminals are employing to steal new keys from cars.

All keyless ignition vehicles emit a low power radio signal to find an appropriate fob. If the signal can be captured and recreated, it could be used to unlock the car and start it.

Relay Attack

Picture your car parked securely in your driveway, with the key fob sitting safely inside your home. You may think your vehicle is secure, but sophisticated thieves are planning a heist without you even knowing. Instead of breaking windows or jimmying locks, these thieves are using technology to hack into vehicles using digital cracks in their armor. This method of stealing cars with keyless access is known as relay theft.

Keyless entry cars are designed to function using an electronic signal that is that is transmitted from the car's remote control (RF) transmitter to the owner's key fob. To ensure that keyless entry is not unauthorized the RF transmitters on the key fob and car are programmed to activate only when they're within certain distance from each other. However, a thief can override this restriction using an attack known as the'relay attack'.

To accomplish this two people work together: one stands by the car with the device that captures a digitized version of the key fob's signal. The other, who is at the house of the owner and using a second device to transmit the key fob's signal to the car. This trick tricks the car into thinking the key fob is close enough to be able to unlock it and start it up.

This type of attack used to require expensive equipment. Today, you can purchase a cheap relay transmitter on the internet and complete an heist in just a few minutes. This is the reason it's well-liked by car thieves.

While certain cars are less prone to this kind of theft than others, all modern vehicles that have keyless entry are vulnerable. Researchers have tested 237 of the most popular cars and found that every one of them are susceptible to being stolen using this method.

Tesla cars are said to be less prone to this kind of theft, however the company has not yet implemented UWB features to effectively check distances on the car's signal to stop relay attacks. The company has said that they will implement this in the future but until then they are vulnerable. Installing an anti-theft device that safeguards your car and your keys against such attacks is a proactive approach to ensure the security of your vehicle.

CAN Injection Attack

Modern cars are designed to shield themselves from thieves by exchanging cryptographic messages with the key to prove that it's authentic. The system is believed to be secure, however criminals have found ways to circumvent it. They simply impersonate the smart key and send other messages to the car, letting it unlock the doors, disable its engine immobilizer, then let them drive away. To achieve this, they need access to the smart keys' internal communication network.

These days, most cars are fitted with between 20 and 200 electronic control units (or ECUs) which control different aspects of the car's operation. They communicate with each other using a network known as CAN bus. To reduce power consumption the ECUs enter sleep mode with low power that is activated when they receive a 'wake up frame. These frames are typically sent via the door or smart key receiver ECU. These messages aren't always authenticated or encrypted. This means that thieves can capture them using a simple and cheap device.

To do this, they look for a location that allows them to connect directly to the CAN bus wires. They usually hide in the headlights, or in other places in the front of the vehicle. To access them, you must pull the bumper and cut holes in the headlamp assemblies. The thieves then use a device called a CAN injection attacker to send fake messages which can trick the car's security systems into unlocking the car and disengaging its engine immobilizer.

The devices are available for purchase on the Dark Web, and work for the majority of major car manufacturers, including BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen, Maserati, and more. Researchers who have discovered the CAN Injection attack recommend that all car makers fix this in their existing models. However, the thieves will continue taking whatever they can. The best thing we can do is try and prevent this by installing security measures that are mechanical such as Discloks on all of our vehicles, and making sure that they are always placed in areas that are well-lit and are clearly visible to passers-by.

The Signal is blocked

In a variant of the relay attack that employs a device, thieves can jam the signal transmitted by the key fob when the car is locked. The device could be found inside the pocket of a burglar in a parking area or in a hidden spot near the driveway being targeted. Owners aren't able to verify if the vehicle is locked after pressing the lock button. The device used by the crook interferes with the signal to lock the car. Therefore, thieves could leave the vehicle.

The crooks also employ devices to amplify the key fob's signals to unlock vehicles. They can accomplish this if the key is in the driver's pocket or hanging from its hook in the home. Once the car has been unlocked, hackers can make use of a standard diagnosis port to create an unlocked fob.

To protect against this type of attack, car manufacturers have developed a variety of anti-theft gadgets. However, thieves are always looking for ways to defeat these measures.

For example, they've started using devices that transmit on the same radio frequency as remote key fobs in order to intercept their signals. The thieves copy the unlock code from the key fob, and then start the vehicle using this fake signal.

This method is especially popular in the US, where many cars have wireless technology. Owners can start and unlock their car by using a mobile app on their phone. This technique is likely to become more popular as more manufacturers try to connect their vehicles with their owners' smartphones.

It is crucial that drivers use best practices when parking their vehicles. It is not advisable to leave the key fobs in ignition and secure the car when not in it. If they can they should also utilize the gearstick or steering locking device. It is also recommended to consider installing a tracking device to their vehicle in the event that it is stolen.

Flat Battery

This kind of attack happens more often than most people realize. Thieves employ cheap devices to extend the signal from your key fob to unlock and start the car, even if it's shut off. Then, they drive the car to a trailer or around a corner, and take the vehicle away. It would be possible to shield your vehicle from this by installing a starter circuit interrupt switch. The most basic ones have an ON/OFF switch which interrupts the starter circuit. It costs about $15 and is simple to install yourself.

Car thieves are always working on new ways to enter vehicles and steal them. Car manufacturers, police and insurance companies are constantly trying to keep up with the latest methods and offer better anti theft systems for modern vehicles. But this isn't stopping thieves who adapt quickly and find ways to bypass the latest anti-theft technology.

For read more instance, a lot of thieves use devices that operate on the same frequency as the fob to block the signal. The device is tucked away in the pocket or close to the vehicle, and stops the fob from sending the lock command to the vehicle. This can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. The device is cheap and available on the internet.

Another strategy is to hack the car's computer system. This is more difficult, but nevertheless possible. Every car has an diagnostic port and hackers have created devices that connect to them and let them access the software in the car. From there, they are able to program a blank key fob and start working. It is possible to do this on older cars too but it's more difficult without taking out the ignition.

As more vehicles are linked to the phones of drivers the method is likely to become more popular too. Once a thief has the username and password to an application for vehicles and is able to unlock or start the vehicle by using the app. You can protect yourself by not leaving valuables in your car and parking in a garage.