[Bruce Tanner]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29786320

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Yeah, this has been doing the rounds for a year or so now... I don't really see the point of keyless entry anyway - what's so hard about pressing a button on a fob?

 

[Matt Beard]

The BBC have a long history of getting confused about tech stories, so I would love to know what the real details are! I believe from something I saw a while back that the attacks may be two stage; first use a technique to gain entry to the car (possibly a physical attack on a window for example) then use an OBD-interface to tell the car to unlock and start up.

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Hmm, no, I think this one is genuine, I don't think it's an OBD hack. It's more to do with scanning and processing the interchange between a legitimate keyfob and the car, then using this information to find the supposedly unique key, and programming that into a blank keyfob. If I remember correctly, that is!

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Erm... why not...? The thieves are basically fooling the car ECU into thinking a genuine key is involved, so once in, you can do anything you like... and in silence, too! Which would make BEVs even easier to steal...

 

[Richard Gledhill]

The BBC have a long history of getting confused about tech stories, so I would love to know what the real details are! I believe from something I saw a while back that the attacks may be two stage; first use a technique to gain entry to the car (possibly a physical attack on a window for example) then use an OBD-interface to tell the car to unlock and start up.

I take it back Matt, you're entirely correct - they are smashing the window and then accessing the OBDII port down the right hand side of the steering wheel where they can just about get at it unseen by the ultrasonic movement detectors in the car.

The good news is that the Ampera's OBDII port is to the LEFT of the steering column, so there's no way they could reach across to get at it without setting off the alarm

No idea where the equivalent ones are on other cars, I'm afraid. Maybe it's time to dig out the big "bin lid" steering wheel lock I had for my Subaru!

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Yeah, but they won't get far, all the same, they'd find out all about range anxiety... and it'd be tough to outrun the old bill - hence I mentioned Tesla as the exception...

Gotcha

 

[Wowbagger]

Surely the inbuilt communications system to Nissan would tell them where the car was, especially when it charges.

 

[EV Rider]

Yeah, but they won't get far, all the same, they'd find out all about range anxiety... and it'd be tough to outrun the old bill - hence I mentioned Tesla as the exception...

Yep,let's hope the would be thieves are Clarkson fans...

 

[Edd Beesley]

About stealing cars.
I saw this video about a model s in the states having been stolen.

owner says how wonderful it was to track her car being chased at 100mph and that she has a remote kill function which she didn't bother to use when she saw it parked up.
no mention of how it was taken/compromised in the first place though.

She left the keys in the car.

 

[Edd Beesley]

Yes it's a non news story. If it had been a mercedes or an Audi we never would have heard about it.

 

[andrew*debbie]

This was a huge problem for BMW about two years ago. Cars were being stolen left and right.

There were small black boxes that plug into the OBD port and program a blank key. Once a thief is in the car, it took about 10 seconds.

BMW put out a software patch which seems to have quieted down things. Dunno how long it will be before there is a Chinese or Russian box that breaks the latest patch.

 

[Paul]

Also a story last year about Range Rovers (all of them?) being uninsurable due to a similar, very targeted thing.