Tech

Be careful, some keys make it easy to steal your car!

Today, it is particularly easy to steal a car. If it opens using “automatic” keys, all you have to do is extend the range of its WiFi signal using a small device to successfully break in. Worse still, the manufacturers do not seem to be looking for a solution to remedy the problem.

car keys
Credits: Unsplash

Lately, it’s not uncommon to see thieves stealing cars without needing their keys. No need to break the glass or force the lock, they almost seem to be able unlock them by thought. A few weeks ago, in the Lille metropolis, the police got their hands on two thieves who hijacked around fifty cars using a simple tablet. And these are far from isolated cases.

Indeed, many of them use a security flaw present in some car keys. This vulnerability is found in the “Keyless-Go-System” models, the new generation of key that allows you to unlock your vehicle simply by approaching it and without having to press a button. Very practical and almost futuristic therefore, but also extremely risky once you know the trick to use it remotely.

Related: Tesla — Flaw Lets 19-Year-Old Hacker Control 25 Cars Worldwide

A simple WiFi extender can steal cars

In fact, all you need is a wifi range extenderi, available almost everywhere for a few tens of euros, to pick up the key signal and increase its field of action. The combination requires two people to work: a thief to capture the wavelength of the car key, and a second to receive the data and open or even start the vehicle. Therefore, the latter is at the mercy of scammersand this, in the space of a few seconds.

A worrying problem, which is all the more so as manufacturers do not seem inclined to seek a solution. Among the possibilities, there is that of the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) system, which allows detect the real key as well as the distance from which it is located. This way it is not possible to fake the signal. However, only 24 out of 500 vehicles are equipped with this device.

Source: Blick

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