Thieves tricking Keyless GO and stealing cars
02-11-2015, 06:47 PM
#1
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Thieves tricking Keyless GO and stealing cars
http://www.egmcartech.com/2015/02/11...ars-in-london/
It's an interesting read.
Basically, break a window, get into the OBD2 port and copy the key information over to a blank key. Voila, they now can steal your car with the keys.....
That being said, it made me think, is there an OBD2 port lock/cover you can place on there?
It's an interesting read.
Basically, break a window, get into the OBD2 port and copy the key information over to a blank key. Voila, they now can steal your car with the keys.....
That being said, it made me think, is there an OBD2 port lock/cover you can place on there?
02-12-2015, 08:11 AM
#3
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another technology fail, bested by hackers again. I love the keyless go tech. I guess a non keyless go key could get just as easily bootlegged. Pop off the column, whatever. They'll always have a way to boost cars. I guess you could boot your own vehicle. Sounds like fun, huh?
02-12-2015, 08:37 AM
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2009 C63 AMG
another technology fail, bested by hackers again. I love the keyless go tech. I guess a non keyless go key could get just as easily bootlegged. Pop off the column, whatever. They'll always have a way to boost cars. I guess you could boot your own vehicle. Sounds like fun, huh?
02-12-2015, 09:22 AM
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02-12-2015, 10:50 AM
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2011 C63 P31, 2012 ML350, 2007 335i E93
Couldn't you thwart this by removing the keyless go push button? Or could the data be loaded into a key that could start the car by inserting into the ignition?
02-12-2015, 11:16 AM
#7
Why is it always London? Well, it wasn't specially London, it was country wide but, greater than that still...all RHD markets.
Theives discovered that the alarm systems on BMW cars 2005+ had ultrasonic sensors placed in such a way that they do not fully cover the right hand window and cockpit (RHD)/front passenger area (LHD). This meant that should you break the front-right window, the alarm wouldn't sound. It also meant that should you reach an arm down into the footwell, the alarm still wouldn't sound.
Unfortunately, BMW locate their OBD ports in the footwell, in line with the A-pillar and close to the door. The OBD port was always active so it allowed thieves to do the above, attach a key coding device via a cable to the OBD port and code a blank key to the car from outside the vehicle.
After this was done, they'd unlock the car 'legitimately' using the new key, release the handbrake and roll it away until out of site to start it, or in case of auto-trans, be brazen enough to just hop in and go.
This flaw in security was finally acknowledged by BMW after a fight from many consumers and eventually they released a software fix that disabled the port once the car was shut down...or so we believe, BMW kept the details of the fix secret, as you'd hope. Some speculate that all it did was lock the windows shut and disable the comfurt access but, even after the fix I could still use that feature.
You'll probably find that if you popped the passenger window of a LHD car that the alarm wouldn't sound however, the reason LHD cars are safe in this respect is because the thief cannot reach to the OBD port on the drivers side without activating the alarm by crawling through the cabin.
This by the way has mostly been in BMW Exx cars, maybe some early Fxx cars however, I'd hope that later Fxx series cars have this covered.
In the UK, Benz theft is usually through house burglaries and theft of your keys.
Theives discovered that the alarm systems on BMW cars 2005+ had ultrasonic sensors placed in such a way that they do not fully cover the right hand window and cockpit (RHD)/front passenger area (LHD). This meant that should you break the front-right window, the alarm wouldn't sound. It also meant that should you reach an arm down into the footwell, the alarm still wouldn't sound.
Unfortunately, BMW locate their OBD ports in the footwell, in line with the A-pillar and close to the door. The OBD port was always active so it allowed thieves to do the above, attach a key coding device via a cable to the OBD port and code a blank key to the car from outside the vehicle.
After this was done, they'd unlock the car 'legitimately' using the new key, release the handbrake and roll it away until out of site to start it, or in case of auto-trans, be brazen enough to just hop in and go.
This flaw in security was finally acknowledged by BMW after a fight from many consumers and eventually they released a software fix that disabled the port once the car was shut down...or so we believe, BMW kept the details of the fix secret, as you'd hope. Some speculate that all it did was lock the windows shut and disable the comfurt access but, even after the fix I could still use that feature.
You'll probably find that if you popped the passenger window of a LHD car that the alarm wouldn't sound however, the reason LHD cars are safe in this respect is because the thief cannot reach to the OBD port on the drivers side without activating the alarm by crawling through the cabin.
This by the way has mostly been in BMW Exx cars, maybe some early Fxx cars however, I'd hope that later Fxx series cars have this covered.
In the UK, Benz theft is usually through house burglaries and theft of your keys.
Last edited by Cozy; 02-12-2015 at 12:48 PM.
