Car Hacking Kits available on eBay for less than $150

eBay selling car entry kits for less than $150 with increasing problems to car hacking

With the rise in number of vehicles being stolen these days as many companies are now adopting keyless technology. However even the keyless technology is far from being same. Stolen car recovery and tracking services provider TRACKER has warned that thieves are able to hack the technology to steal a car without needing its key.

As keyless entry systems do not require a physical key, they are more vulnerable to hacking. Thieves can jam the lock signal, or read and retransmit it to gain access, using cheap and easily available devices sold online.

With the increasing popularity of keyless technology, the criminals have been buying such kind of equipment which is able to reprogramme the keys, online. TRACKER says that such equipment is available for less than $150/£100 at online stores like eBay.

Police_Nov_copy_png-320Swiss engineering college ETH Zurich showed that wireless key signals can also be used over long distances using a low-cost amplifier. Although the transmitting end needs to be close to the locks or ignition, the receiver can be up to eight meters away from the fob, which could be inside a house or office.

Out of the 10 cars tested, all could be opened and started when the signal was amplified through a seven-meters cable , while six could be stolen if the car was 50 meters from the receiver.

The ACPO figures shows that there has been a 76% decline in thefts over the last 10 years yet thieves are exploiting new technologies to reduce the risk of being caught as the earlier method includes manual key for access.

car-hackingAndy Barrs, police liaison officer for TRACKER  said: ‘Car hacking is a growing issue for motorists. Today’s sophisticated security systems mean thieves have to be smarter than ever and the latest trends show that criminal gangs have found a way to crack keyless cars. So the company needs to be one step ahead of the theives.’

“The challenge remains that the equipment being used to steal a vehicle in this way is legitimately used by workshops to carry out routine maintenance,” a spokesman said.

Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson commented that,”The criminal act of stealing vehicles through the re-programming of remote-entry keys is an on-going industry-wide problem”.

“The keys are still the weakest link in a car security chain. If someone has your keys, they have your car.”concluded by Ian Crowder from motorists group, AA.

1 COMMENT

  1. Cool.

    Say, can’t you get a computer interface for a laptop plug into the car? There is software to read the car’s vitals and edit things on the car.

    cxouldn’t you also hack the core functions of the car? Like the governor shut off, or the engine timing? I think some of these can be adjusted by computer. Dunno.

    I understand rhst new cars have a wifi hotspot in them. I’m certain some cars are going to have 3G/LTE Celular service in them. Activate it to have data / voice / SMS to the passengers. A data plan for the car.

    Wouldn’t they be volnerable to the same techniques used in popsr WEP/WPA wifi attacks? If so, what can be acquired with s StingRay or DirtBox device?

    I think shortly, they wll have payment systems built in for drive thru and gas stations. Payment for gas and fast food will be automatic.

    So, it seems there are a few opportunities to explore in the world of car hacking.

    Imagine, a car with the ability to hack in to the intersection stop lights using cellular or Internet hotspot and change them to green before you get there. It does it over and over as you drive down roads and enjoy all green lights. Haha

    Then you hack the car beside you through
    Bluetooth in he radio and blast your favorite song in their car.

    Are there any other hacks you can think of?

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