Slashdot Mirror
Keyless Remote Entry For Cars May Have Been Cracked
WheezyJoe writes "The Today Show had a piece this morning showing video of thieves apparently using a small device to open and enter cars equipped with keyless entry. Electronic key fobs, which are supposed to be secure, are replacing keys in more and more new cars, but the evidence suggests that a device has been developed which effortlessly bypasses this security (at least on certain makes and models). 'Adding to the mystery, police say the device works on some cars but not others. Other surveillance videos show thieves trying to open a Ford SUV and a Cadillac, with no luck. But an Acura SUV and sedan pop right open. And they always seem to strike on the passenger side. Investigators don't know why.' Police and security experts say they are 'stumped.'"
An older engineer I worked with once told me a story about a car manufacturer (don't remember which one) using the CAN bus to control the side view mirrors. Well, the CAN bus is an electrical bus without any form of authentication or security, and car thieves started to make a habit of busted off one of the side mirrors and issuing the unlock doors message on the bus. Note that the authenticity of this story is what you should expect from typical water cooler gossip.
A better theory would be that the guys just placed a device in the neighbourhood earlier, that JAMS the signal that closes the car door. Most users wouldnt notice, since they just turn back and start walking while pressing the lock button. AFAIK, it is easier to JAM a signal than to decrypt it. :)
A small device with a 2W amplifier could cover a range from 500mts easily.