Keyless Entry Car Theft

S

sonoran

Member
:
2017 Mazda CX-5 GT +P
It's been pretty well known for several years that keyless entry/ignition systems are susceptible to being "hacked" primarily by amplifying the signal from the key fob (although there are other hacks that allow someone to break the encoding by dramatically narrowing the number of possible code permutations and a new one that uses tech from the manufacturer's network testing equipment).

Just wondering how many people bother to get a Faraday cage for their key fob: https://www.fobguard.com/ keep their keys in a metal box, refrigerator, microwave at night or when they're in a motel?

Automobile manufacturers seems to be very slow in addressing this.
 
The CX-5 is one car from one of the world's smallest car makers. No one wants to steal these cars.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict no one is using such a thing.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
I don't think this some kind of exotic technology only available to thieves targeting $100,000 cars anymore. They devices seem to be available on Ebay for as little as $17. They're used to break into cars to steal the contents, or the car itself. Here's an article from two years ago that indicates it was probably used on a Mazda 3 and Prius among others, by kids on bicycles: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/style/keeping-your-car-safe-from-electronic-thieves.html.

It seems to be more prevalent in Europe at this point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AShA9IGhoW0
 
Last edited:
7eregrine said:
No one wants to steal these cars.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Excuse me but mine has just gone although I agree that faraday cages and such are daft countermeasures.

The normal and very popular way in the UK is to break in and steal the key.
 
Your car was stolen?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
sonoran said:
It's been pretty well known for several years that keyless entry/ignition systems are susceptible to being "hacked" primarily by amplifying the signal from the key fob (although there are other hacks that allow someone to break the encoding by dramatically narrowing the number of possible code permutations and a new one that uses tech from the manufacturer's network testing equipment).

Just wondering how many people bother to get a Faraday cage for their key fob: https://www.fobguard.com/ keep their keys in a metal box, refrigerator, microwave at night or when they're in a motel?

Automobile manufacturers seems to be very slow in addressing this.
Click to expand...

There are a number of different designs. More recent ones are not as susceptible to this.

For example, the Mazda (and most recent systems) use a modulated magnetic field to wake up the fob's RF transmitter when it is near the car. Since magnetic fields fall off in power extremely fast, you cannot amplify that magnetic field to an extent where it would wake up the fob if it were more than a few feet away.

Of course, there may be some other way to spoof a fob. But the amplification trick doesn't work on recent vintage systems anymore.
 
Last edited:
7eregrine said:
Your car was stolen?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
 
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
Click to expand...
Gah, that makes me feel so angry. That people steal someone's property like that and then destroy it. No doubt something you worked hard to get.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
Click to expand...

This freaking sucks completely, but this is way different than someone just seeing your car and breaking into it or hacking the fob. Breaking into the house and physically stealing a key shouldn't be considered a theft concern of a car being jacked. I know how you feel though as I've been there, completely violated...
 
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
Click to expand...
OH NOOOOO! :'(

So sorry to hear that Anchorman! I totally missed your thread and pictures of your incident. (boom08)

I hope everything works out for the best for you and the insurance company does it's job...

About 25yrs ago my very first new Mazda, a 1991 Protg, was stolen from the Mazda dealer service department lot, gutted for the $$$ custom sound system, and was then found in a church parking lot a week later... Insurance companies, rental cars, small claims court...What a several month long nightmare that was...
(five-0)
 
Last edited:
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
Click to expand...

Oh man! Sorry to hear that. :(
 
No kidding ....sorry to hear about that Anchorman. How are things going with your insurance claim on this? Do they sell any policies in UK for new car replacement within the first two years?
 
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. It has since been in a high speed chase like you see on tv (it was the high powered diesel and was very fast) and stopped with a stinger. They continued the chase on three tyres and one rim but it bounced of walls on both sides. It's a wreck.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. I once had a car stolen and it's truly a gut-wrenching feeling. Hope you're able to get it all resolved and quickly with little hassle.
 
Thanks folks. The car will be replaced but they used it for transport for my wife's jewellery, some of which was handed down and virtually every one of my collection of Milwaukee power tools.
 
Kedis82ZE8 said:
No kidding ....sorry to hear about that Anchorman. How are things going with your insurance claim on this? Do they sell any policies in UK for new car replacement within the first two years?
Click to expand...

Thankfully there is an option in the UK known as "Gap Insurance" which should cover the full replacement value of a new car. I picked up my new replacement CX-5 on Wednesday and normally I defer on Gap insurance but reading Anchormans post when his car was stolen and his relief on taking out the option I done the same.
 
Anchorman said:
Yes, they broke into my house and stole the key on the 6th of this month. ⋯ It's a wreck.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that! But look at the brighter side, although all the time and effort you've put in are lost, you could easily get a 2nd-gen Soul Red Crystal CX-5 replacing your 1st-gen Soul Red CX-5 with your insurance money. :)
 
Years ago, I had a Toyota Celica that I was selling (growing family). I ended up selling it back to the local Toyota dealership.
I dropped the car off in the evening and picked up my cheque.
2am the phone rings, waking us up. It was the police asking if I was the owner of a grey Toyota Celica.
I said, not anymore. Why?
Well, they found the car in a field with a bunch of empty beer bottles in it, thrashed all to heck.
Turns out it was stolen off the dealer lot that evening and taken out for a joy ride.
I went to the bank the next morning to make sure the cheque was still good. Whew.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Aftermarket car alarm
Replies
0
Views
2K
DylanMitchell
D
W
HELP!! How get second immobilizer fob! (not keyless entry fob)
Replies
0
Views
614
Wishmaster
W
V
Soon, the Remote Keyless will be compromised
Replies
9
Views
4K
SuperStretch18
S

Latest posts

Back