Renault ZOE R135 ZE50 GTLine July 2020 (Sold: R90 ZE40 i Dynamic Nav June 2017)
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693 Posts
On ZOE ZE40 models (and presumably the 22kWh models), if you locked the car by pressing the button on the key fob it would only unlock using the key fob. Hand-free locking was disabled. This meant that thieves could not use a simple amplifier (man-in-the-middle) approach to make the car think the key fob was close to it, and just open a door.
We've just collected our ZE50 and the behaviour has changed, in my opinion for the worse. If hands-free unlocking is switched on then you can always just open the car if you have the key on you, even if you locked it with the key fob. So the man-in-the-middle attack is once again available to thieves and you do need to keep your key fob in a metal enclosure in the house. What a drag - I was quite happy just to lock the car with the key fob to get the same security.
There is one simple solution, which is to totally disable hands-free locking/unlocking in the settings. You are then forced to use the key fob, but the advantage is that the simple man-in-the-middle attack can't work.
This is just like cars used to be and I find it perfectly usable. I suppose it would be annoying if you have got used to leaving your key fob in your bag/case.
We've just collected our ZE50 and the behaviour has changed, in my opinion for the worse. If hands-free unlocking is switched on then you can always just open the car if you have the key on you, even if you locked it with the key fob. So the man-in-the-middle attack is once again available to thieves and you do need to keep your key fob in a metal enclosure in the house. What a drag - I was quite happy just to lock the car with the key fob to get the same security.
There is one simple solution, which is to totally disable hands-free locking/unlocking in the settings. You are then forced to use the key fob, but the advantage is that the simple man-in-the-middle attack can't work.
This is just like cars used to be and I find it perfectly usable. I suppose it would be annoying if you have got used to leaving your key fob in your bag/case.