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Kryptonite U-Lock Security Flaw

An anonymous reader writes "Once upon a time, a magic marker was able to defeat the Key2Audio copy protection scheme of older Sony CDs. Now, it has been shown that a Bic pen can easily open several models of Kryptonite U-locks. Please patch your systems, or install a tracking device on your bikes!"

4 of 554 comments (clear)

  1. The videos by BReflection · · Score: 5, Informative
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    python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"
  2. It's twue! It's twue! by Walter+Wart · · Score: 5, Informative

    I tried it out with my own lock. 30 seconds and it was open. I called the Kryptonite company. At the time they were aware of the problem and are rushing their next generation of cylinders into production.

    Interestingly enough, the problem was first reported in Britain in 1992. But it didn't go anywhere. Hurray for the age of fast information dissemination. And fast technology transfer to the bad guys.

    --
    The man who never alters his opinion is like the stagnant water and breeds Reptiles of the Mind -- William Blake
  3. This doesn't just affect Kryptonite locks by GuruHal · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is a flaw in the barrel style key system. I'm hardly a locksmith, but I've tried this on several of my locks and others just to prove the point, and the majority are not kryptonite locks. All of them have opened without more than 30 seconds of effort.

    The sick part is the problem has been well known to manufacturers since 1992, and nothing has been done about it.

    --
    "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" -- Red Green
    1. Re:This doesn't just affect Kryptonite locks by Witchblade · · Score: 5, Informative

      At my freshman orientation at Ohio State in 1993 we we told about this on the first day by the RAs. I'm really surprised at seeing the cycling community react with total shock to this. I also can't believe the manufacturers weren't aware of the problem a decade ago, since it seemed to be pretty well known then.