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$20 'Toy' Deactivates Cheap Home Alarms, Opens Doors

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-come-in-or-i'll-beep-at-you dept.

mask.of.sanity writes "Cheap home alarms, door opening systems and wireless mains switches can be bypassed with low-cost and home-made devices that can replicate their infrared signals. Fixed-code radio frequency systems could be attacked using a $20 'toy', or using basic DIY componentry. Quoting: 'Criminals might be able to capture IR signals if they can get a line of sight to when the system is being armed or disarmed. If a criminal knows what type of alarm system you're using then they could do what we did here and reverse it for cloning a remote. A more likely scenario is just to buy a duplicate system and use that remote. Not all IR remotes can be switched from the same system. It depends on whether a code is being transmitted and how many variations of the code and remote exist. In the system described in this post, there is no code, just a carrier signal. If a code is being transmitted, then the Infrared toy can capture it and replay it. So that's your best bet for a criminal looking at a completely unknown remote.'"

3 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Keys are copyable?! by erroneus · · Score: 5, Informative

    Say it isn't so!!! Someone made a copy of my keys from a wax mould. So I got an electronic lock. So now that is vulnerable too?! Say it isn't so!!

    I'm sorry, but if you want to secure a transmitted signal, then SECURE IT. Signals which are one-way only are weak by definition. Instead, there should be work done on systems which require an encrypted signal started by the key device and received by the lock which returns with a reply to the key device which acknowledges the reply.

    And yes, even THAT can be replicated... it's just harder. But the rule is that which can be locked can be unlocked. It's a question of complication.

  2. Re:Ok? How is this new, or a big deal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    So can many universal remotes, so can a computer, so can anything else....

    Of course the very first thing the article covers is universal remotes and how they didn't work.
    Perhaps, in the future, you should RTFA before commenting.

  3. Goodness by Drewdad · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's almost as if the security company is selling the appearance of security instead of actual security. Surely, they wouldn't be so mercenary.