Cars Being Stolen With Keyless Entry
If car owners throw their keys on the table or next to their door, they may unknowingly allow thieves to hijack their signal. This relay attack is a high-tech method used by criminals to steal keys from new vehicles.
All keyless ignition cars emit an low-power radio signal that is looking for a matching fob that can respond. If the signal can be recorded and recreated, it can be used unlock the car, and also to start it.
Relay Attack
Imagine your car safely in your driveway, and your key fob inside your home. You're confident that your car is safe, but not seen by you, sophisticated thieves are plotting an heist. Instead of slamming windows or jiggling locks, they are using technology to hack into cars via digital cracks in their armor. This method of stealing vehicles with keys is known as relay theft.
Cars equipped with keyless entry are designed to operate using an electronic signal that is transmitted from the remote control (RF) transmitter to the owner's key fob. To ensure that keyless entry is not accessed by intruders, the RF transmitters on the key fob and the car are programmed to turn on when they are within a certain distance from each other. The thief can circumvent this limitation employing a technique called the "relay-attack".
Two individuals are required to perform this: one stands close to the car and uses a device to capture digitally the signal coming from the key fob. The other, who is at home with the owner, uses a second gadget to transmit the signal from the key fob back to the car. This trickery fools the car into thinking the key fob is close enough to unlock and start the engine.
This type of attack used to require expensive equipment. Now, you can purchase relay transmitters for cheap online and execute a heist in minutes. This is the reason why car thieves love it.
All modern cars with keyless access are vulnerable. Some cars are more susceptible to this type of attack than others. Researchers have tested 237 of the most popular cars and found that all of them could be taken through this method.
Tesla vehicles are believed to be less vulnerable to this type of theft, but the company hasn't yet implemented UWB features that could effectively perform distance checks on the car's signal to protect against relay attacks. The company has stated that they will make this happen in the near future, but until then, they remain vulnerable. That is why it's important to take a proactive approach to your vehicle security and install an anti-theft kit which protects your keys as well as your the car from such attacks.
CAN Injection Attack
Modern vehicles can defend themselves from theft by sending encrypted messages to the key to prove its authenticity. This system is generally reckoned to be secure, however criminals have found a way to circumvent it. They simply pretend to be the smart key and send other messages to the car, letting it unlock the doors, turn off its engine immobilizer, then let them go on their way. To do that they gain access to the smart key's internal communication network.
Today, most automobiles are equipped 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 the 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 by the ECU that controls the smart key or door. These messages aren't always encrypted or authenticated. This means that criminals can take them over with an inexpensive and simple device.
To accomplish this, they must look for a location where they can directly connect to the CAN bus connector wires. These are often hidden away within the headlights or in the front of the car and can be accessed by pulling the bumper and cutting holes in the headlamp assembly to expose the wires. The thieves use an instrument known as an CAN injection attack. It is used to send fake messages which fool the safety systems of the car into unlocking and disengaging the engine immobilizer.
These devices are available for sale on the Dark Web, and work for most of the major car manufacturers, including BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen, Maserati, and more. Researchers who discovered the CAN Injection attack recommend that all car makers address this in their existing models. However, these thieves will continue taking everything they can. The best we can do is to attempt to stop this from happening by installing mechanical security measures like Discloks on cars and ensuring that they are always located in areas with adequate lighting that are easily visible to pedestrians.
The Signal is blocked
In a variant of the relay attack that uses a gadget, thieves can jam the signal sent by key fobs while the car is locked. The device could be found inside the pocket of a thief in a parking lot or in a hiding spot near the driveway being targeted. Owners don't check whether their car is locked after pressing the lock button. The device used by the criminal blocks the signal that locks the vehicle. Therefore, thieves can escape with the car.
The crooks also use devices to enhance the signal of the key fob in order to unlock vehicles. The crooks can do this even when the key is in the driver's pocket or hanging on a hook inside the home. Once the car has been unlocked, hackers can use the standard diagnostic port to create an unlocked fob.
To guard against this kind of attack, car makers have created a variety of anti-theft devices. But, as always, thieves come up with ways to thwart these measures.
They've begun using devices that transmit at the same frequency as remote keyfobs to intercept signals. The thieves then copy the unlock code of the key fob and start the vehicle using this fake signal.
This method is particularly popular in the US where a lot of cars are equipped with wireless technology. Owners can start and unlock their car using a mobile application from their mobile. This technology is likely to be more commonplace as more companies attempt to connect their vehicles with their owners phones.
It is essential that drivers follow the best practices when parking their vehicles. They should never leave their key fobs in the ignition, should always ensure that their vehicle is locked completely when they're not there and should use a steering wheel or gearstick lock, if they can. They should also consider installing a tracking device on their vehicle in the event that it's stolen.
Flat Battery
This kind of attack occurs more often than people realize. Thieves use inexpensive devices to extend the signal from your key fob to unlock and start a car even when it's switched off. Then they drive the car to a trailer or around a corner to take it away. It would be possible to protect your vehicle from this by installing an interrupter for the starter circuit. The most basic ones have an ON/OFF switch which interrupts the starter circuit. It's about $15 and is easy to install.
Car thieves are always trying new ways to gain access to vehicles and then steal them. Police, car manufacturers and insurance companies are constantly trying to keep up with the latest tactics and provide better anti-theft systems for modern vehicles. However, this isn't stopping thieves who easily adapt and find ways to bypass the most recent anti-theft measures.
Many thieves block the signal with devices that operate on the same radio frequency as the fob. The device is placed in the pocket or near the vehicle and prevents the fob from sending the signal to the car. This can be done in just a few seconds. The device is cheap and is available online.
Hacking the computer system of the car is an alternative option. This is more difficult but it is still possible. All cars have a diagnostic port, and hackers have designed devices that plug into them and allow them access the software in the car. They can then program the fob with blank code to work. It is also possible to do this on older vehicles, however it is more difficult to do so without taking off the ignition lock.
As more vehicles are connected to drivers' phones more info the method is likely to be more popular. Once a criminal has the username and password to an app for vehicles they are able to open the car or get it started with the app on their phone. You can safeguard yourself by not putting valuables inside your car, and also by parking in a garage.