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Motorcycle Gang Busted For Hacking and Stealing Over 150 Jeep Wranglers (bleepingcomputer.com)
An anonymous reader writes: "The FBI has arrested members of a motorcycle gang accused to have hacked and stolen over 150 Jeep Wranglers from Southern California, which they later crossed the border into Mexico to have stripped down for parts," reports Bleeping Computer. What stands apart is how the gang operated. This involved gang members getting the Jeep Wrangler VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), accessing a proprietary Jeep database, and getting two codes needed to create a duplicate replacement key. Gang members used one code to cut the key, while they used the second code while stealing the car, connecting a handheld programming computer to the car, and programming the replacement key's chip, synchronizing it to the car's dashboard. All of this took under 2 minutes and was also possible because Jeep Wranglers allow thieves to pop the hood from the outside of the car and disable the alarm even before using their non-authenticated replacement key. Officials say that all the database queries for the stolen VIN codes came from a Jeep dealer in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Court documents don't say if the dealer cooperated or gang members hacked its system. The motorcycle gang's name was Hooligans and the sub-unit that stole the Jeeps was named Dirty 30.
On my car, the VIN is also etched into the corner of each of the glass pieces. Since you also need to regularly supply a VIN for registration, service, and even sometimes to take the car onto a private lot, the best thing would be for Chrysler to require something more private in order to get the codes for the key and the computer :/
"Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
The name comes from a notorious Irish family.
It's time that you should be able to program your car with your own codes because obviously dealerships cannot be trusted to secure them.
Nothing is stopping you from having the locks changed the day you buy it. Changing codes is normally harder, sometimes requiring changing out the computer.