Ramblings of an old Doc
Long list of vulnerable cars...
Published on August 13, 2016 By DrJBHL In Life, the Universe and Everything

 

As if the phony emissions testing wasn't enough? That 'keyless' entry fob? Not very secure, it turns out. In fact, it's eminently hackable...

Volkswagen does have an 'immobilizer' built in, but it isn't perfect...so, your car could be broken into, and maybe that's the device we saw being used on Jeeps?

Anyway, the older (1998) HT2 chips were easily hackable, too.

"Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method." - engadget

Since they're based on low power radio signal, they can be recorded and rebroadcast with a device that the researchers made which cost all of $40. 

So, if you're using this method of entering your vehicle, (no matter make or model since they all use one rolling code or another) there's only one way of being secure That's to keep that fob in a shielded bag, and use your regular key to enter your car.

Even if your car has an immobilization system and can't be stolen, whatever you have in the car and trunk can be...

Next question is how likely that is to happen? Perhaps not very, but theft insurance could be good (depending on its language).

So, just a word to the wise.

 

Source:

https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/16/research-shocker-keyless-car-entry-systems-can-be-hacked-easily/

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2016/08/12/423094.htm

 


Comments
on Sep 23, 2016

Thanks Very informative. Inss tead of taking my radio with me I'll take a tire.

on Sep 23, 2016

In the good old days before key-less entry and immobilizers the trick was to take the rotor button with you...

on Sep 25, 2016

Or have a very loud alarm.