| |
WHAT THE CAR DEALERS SAY . . .
SALESPEOPLE AT THE CAR DEALERS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO KEEP YOUR VEHICLE FROM BEING STOLEN.
EVERYTHING THEY KNOW IS WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO SAY.
Please do not depend on your vehicle's Factory Security System to keep your vehicle from being stolen. No matter what kind!
Let your dealer supply you your vehicle
- - - and let RAVELCO supply your security.
One
Honda dealer told a Ravelco customer that they would not
need a Ravelco because the Ravelco kills the same
circuits as the factory system that Honda includes in
their vehicles for free! The Ravelco customer then asked
"Well if Honda's factory system is so foolproof why is
Honda the number #1 stolen vehicle in the world?" The
Honda dealer was lost for words!
Car dealers are always telling their customers "You do not need any additional security because you have a chip it your key that has a billion different combinations and it sends a signal to the vehicle to let the vehicle know that this is the real key . . . Blah Blah Blah Blah!"
BALONEY !!!! PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS! THIS IS JUST SALES TALK!
There are companies who manufacture by pass kits . . .
(shown at bottom of page)
Be sure to read these newspaper articles below . . .
THE
FOLLOWING ARTICLES BELOW TELL YOU WHY YOU NEED THE
RAVELCO . . .
BBC -
One
Watch
Dog
BMW:
Open to
car
theft?
They
cost
between
£17,000
and more
than
£100,000.
Providing
owners
with the
last
word in
German
luxury
engineering.
But -
every
day –
more and
more BMW
owners
are
waking
up to
find
them
gone.
Steven
Singh
opened
his
door
and
noticed
that
his
car
wasn’t
there,
apart
from
some
shattered
glass
on
the
floor.
His
BMW
M6
convertible
had
been
stolen.
After
paying
so
much,
he
thought
he’d
taken
all
the
necessary
safety
precautions
and
had
both
the
keys
in
his
possession.
Exasperated,
he
told
us
“you
spend
£40,000,
£50,000
on a
vehicle
and
someone
can
come
and
take
your
car
without
a
key.
It’s
just
ludicrous”
On
the
same
night
Steven's
car
was
taken,
he
met
another
BMW
owner
who’d
also
been
targeted.
Since
then,
more
have
been
writing
to
Watchdog.
Their
cars
have
gone
too.
And
all
of
them
still
have
their
keys.
What’s
going
on?
It
begins
with
the
computerization
of
cars.
Most
modern
vehicles,
like
the
BMW,
now
have
an
on-board
computer
hidden
away
under
the
bonnet.
This
computer
basically
controls
the
engine
and
makes
sure
everything
is
working
correctly.
It
also
controls
the
car’s
electronic
key.
All
BMWs
have
had
them
since
2006.
The
keys
communicate
with
the
computer
via
radio
signal
and
that
in
turn
allows
you
to
start
the
vehicle.
But
crucially,
the
computer
can
also
program
a
new
key,
should
the
old
one
be
lost.
Now
this
used
to
be a
complicated
task
that
took
around
40
minutes
to
complete
and
required
specialist
equipment.
But
someone
has
managed
to
simplify
the
process
by
cracking
BMW’s
technology.
The
result?
A
device
exists
which
allows
anyone
to
access
the
on-board
computer
and
program
a
blank
key.
It's
so
easy
to
use
and
the
process
takes
little
more
than
three
minutes.
The
device
was
actually
designed
and
marketed
for
garages
and
recovery
agents
etc,
so
they
could
use
it
over
and
over
again
on
different
vehicles.
Unfortunately,
the
same
could
also
apply
to
criminals.
Amazingly,
the
blank
keys
and
the
device
are
both
available
to
buy
at a
bit
of a
price
on
the
internet.
But,
as
it
works
on
many
models
of
BMW
–
and
as
it
can
be
used
repeatedly
-
the
criminals
are
happy
to
pay.
Police
in
Warwickshire
are
so
concerned
they
released
a
press
release
in
April,
warning
BMW
owners
to
take
extra
precautions
because
of
the
high
number
of
cars
being
stolen.
It
clearly
states
“The
thief
uses
a
device
on
the
vehicle
which
program
a
blank
key”.
And
it's
the
same
story
in
London.
There’ve
been
so
many
thefts
here,
that
that
in
August
the
Metropolitan
Police
left
leaflets
under
windscreens,
warning
BMW
owners
their
cars
were
likely
to
be
targeted
So
with
the
police
going
out
of
their
way
to
warn
the
public
of
the
dangers,
you'd
expect
BMW
to
be
doing
the
same.
Surely
they
are
contacting
owners
and
letting
prospective
buyers
know
the
risks?
Well,
not
exactly.
We
visited
BMW
dealerships
in
both
the
Midlands
and
London
–
both
theft
hotspots
and
we
got
totally
inconsistent
messages.
So
we
got
hold
of
one
of
these
devices
and
a
blank
BMW
key
ourselves
and,
surprise,
surprise,
with
the
blank
key
we
were
able
to
start
the
car.
A
security
system
so
compromised
that
even
our
reporter
could
break
it.
How
much
more
proof
does
BMW
need
that
it
is
time
for
them
to
take
action?
Company
Response
A
BMW
spokesperson
said:
"Criminal
activity
of
all
kinds
is
becoming
increasingly
sophisticated
and
particularly
in
this
electronic
age
evolves
with
incredible
speed.
For
highly
complex,
valuable
and
desirable
products
like
cars,
this
has
been
a
constant
battle
for
manufacturers,
legislators,
the
police
and
of
course
the
owners
of
these
cars.
Organized
crime
has
turned
its
attention
to
profits
which
can
be
made
when
stealing
premium
cars
to
order
and
selling
them
under
false
identities
or,
more
often,
breaking
them
up
for
parts
and
selling
them
piecemeal.
Certain
criminal
threats,
like
the
one
you
have
highlighted,
simply
do
not
exist
when
cars
are
designed
and
developed.
This
does
not
mean
the
car
companies
have
done
anything
wrong,
neither
are
they
legally
obliged
to
take
any
action.
However,
BMW
has
always
taken
security
extremely
seriously
and
has
worked
closely
with
police
forces
around
the
country
(and
the
world),
with
Thatcham
and
with
the
industry
body,
the
SMMT
(The
Society
of
Motor
Manufacturers
and
Traders)
to
understand
and
mitigate
against
car
crime
wherever
possible.
Therefore,
when
we
were
made
aware
of
this
new
form
of
attack,
we
took
it
very
seriously
and
immediately
launched
an
investigation."
A
vital
point
to
acknowledge
here
is
that
there
is
no
such
thing
as
the
‘unstealable’
car,
as
Ron
Cliff
knows
well.
If a
criminal
decides
they
want
your
car,
they
will
find
a
way
to
take
it.
Our
job
is
to
make
it
as
difficult
as
possible.
Can
BMW
confirm
it
is
aware
of
the
issues
raised
above?
We
are
aware
of
this
new
type
of
high-tech
car
crime,
which
is
certainly
not
restricted
to
BMW,
but
is
an
industry
wide
issue.
Manufacturers
and
police
forces
are
in a
constant
battle
against
the
increasing
sophistication
of
organized
car
criminals.
When
did
BMW
become
aware
of
the
security
issues
outlined
above?
We
have
a
close
working
relationship
with
the
Metropolitan
Police
and
with
Thatcham
and
first
became
aware
of
this
new
type
of
car
crime
in
autumn
2011.
We
immediately
started
an
investigation,
which
was
a
complex
process
to
establish
the
exact
method
of
attack
and
the
technical
implications.
What
is
BMW
doing
to
rectify
the
security
problems?
There
is
no
specific
BMW
security
issue
here,
this
is
something
which
affects
many
brands,
however
organized
criminals
have
targeted
particularly
desirable
cars,
with
higher
value
parts
and
that
is
why
BMW
is
amongst
the
brands
affected.
BMW
prides
itself
on
its
vehicle
security
systems
and
all
BMWs
meet
all
UK
and
global
security
standards.
Our
engineers
and
technicians
review
all
aspects
of
our
vehicles
constantly,
including
security
systems,
and
after
extensive
research
we
are
clear
that
none
of
our
latest
models
-
new
3
Series,
5
Series,
6
Series
and
7
Series
-
nor
any
other
BMW
built
after
September
2011
can
be
stolen
using
the
method
you
have
highlighted.
For
cars
built
before
this
date
our
investigations,
jointly
with
the
police,
have
identified
late
model
BMW
X5
and
X6
as
cars
which
have
been
focused
on
by
organized
criminals.
We
are
now
taking
steps
to
mitigate
against
this
type
of
theft
for
these
two
models
and
are
contacting
customers
accordingly.
For
obvious
security
reasons
we
cannot
say
what
these
measures
are.
Other
models,
including
earlier
M
cars,
as
featured
in
your
program,
are
also
being
looked
at
to
see
if
similar
measures
might
be
applied.
What
advice
can
you
offer
your
customers?
We
agree
with
the
general
advice
to
customers
given
by
the
Police:
-
When using remote locking, ensure the car has actually locked by checking a door.
-
Be careful with your keys and who you give them too keys (e.g. valet parking). There is a risk that they could be cloned.
-
Where ever possible park your car out of sight, in a locked garage or under the cover of CCTV cameras
-
In addition: We recommend servicing your BMW at dealerships capable of providing software updates (e.g. authorized BMW Dealerships) on a regular basis to give the opportunity of further enhancing theft protection.
I am
pleased
to
say
that
we
have
now
had
further
information
from
our
technical
team
which
means
that
we
will
be
able
to
offer
the
same
mitigating
measures
mentioned
in
relation
to
X5
and
X6,
to
any
concerned
BMW
owners,
starting
within
the
next
eight
weeks.
This
will
mean
that
the
car
cannot
be
taken
using
the
piece
of
equipment
you
highlight.
Of
course
this
will
not
render
the
car
unstealable,
but
it
will
address
this
particular
form
of
attack.
Any
customer
who
is
concerned
about
this
issue
can
contact
our
customer
service
department
on
0800
083
4397
or
their
dealer,
either
of
which
will
happy
to
advise.
This
page
was
posted
on
12
September
2012.
Texting,
grand
theft
auto
style;
alarms
pose
risk
AP
Friday
August
19, 2011
For car
thieves,
texting
and
driving
might
mix;
alarm
systems
open
door,
literally,
for
attack
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Texting
and driving don't go well
together -- though not in the
way you might think. Computer
hackers can force some cars to
unlock their doors and start
their engines without a key by
sending specially crafted
messages to a car's anti-theft
system. They can also snoop at
where you've been by tapping the
car's GPS system.
That is possible
because car alarms, GPS systems
and other devices are
increasingly connected to
cellular telephone networks and
thus can receive commands
through text messaging. That
capability allows owners to
change settings on devices
remotely, but it also gives
hackers a way in.
Researchers from
iSEC Partners recently
demonstrated such an attack on a
Subaru Outback equipped with a
vulnerable alarm system, which
wasn't identified. With a laptop
perched on the hood, they sent
the Subaru's alarm system
commands to unlock the doors and
start the engine.
Their findings
show that text messaging is no
longer limited to short notes
telling friends you're running
late or asking if they're free
for dinner. Texts are a powerful
means of attack because the
devices that receive them
generally cannot refuse texts
and the commands encoded in
them. Users can't block texts;
only operators of the phone
networks can.
These devices are
assigned phone numbers just like
fax machines. So if you can find
the secret phone number attached
to a particular device, you can
throw it off by sending your own
commands through text messaging.
Although these
numbers are only supposed to be
known by the devices' operators,
they aren't impossible to find.
Certain network-administration
programs allow technicians to
probe networks to see what kinds
of devices are on them. Based on
the format of the responses, the
type and even model of the
device can be deduced. Hackers
can use that information to
craft attacks against devices
they know are vulnerable. (In
this case, the researchers
bypassed these steps and simply
took the alarm system out of the
car to identify the secret phone
number.)
You'd have to
ensure that the phone number you
found is attached to the car
you're standing in front of, for
instance. There are hacking
tools to do that -- they listen
for cellular traffic around a
particular vehicle -- but in
many cases it's easier to take a
car that doesn't have an alarm.
The research from
Don Bailey and Mat Solnik is
unsettling because it shows that
such attacks are possible on a
variety of other devices that
use wireless communications
chips. Those include ATMs,
medical devices and even traffic
lights. Hackers have already
sent specially crafted texts
with commands to instantly
disconnect iPhones from the
cellular network.
Bailey, whose
specialty is cellphone network
security, also found that
similar techniques can be used
to get a certain type of GPS
system to cough up its location
data. Such information can be
used by stalkers or home
burglars, for instance.
The type of GPS
system he studied is known as
assisted GPS, which means that
it uses cellular signals in
addition to the usual satellite
signals. That makes the system
vulnerable. The research isn't
just about taking off with
someone else's car or finding
out where that person has been.
It raises the
possibility of other, more
sinister dangers, such as those
potentially affecting braking
and acceleration, said Scott
Borg, director of the U.S. Cyber
Consequences Unit, a group that
studies hacking threats. That
becomes possible as networked
electronics are more tightly
coupled with physical machinery.
"Doing one that
is harmful is quite hard, but we
need to prepare for people doing
that," Borg said.
The research got
the attention of a trade group
for electric utilities, the
North American Electric
Reliability Corp. After the pair
showed off the techniques at the
Black Hat security conference in
Las Vegas this month, the group
warned that the types of
wireless chips exploited by the
pair are also used at power
plants and said that more
caution is needed in their use.
The vulnerable
GPS system was made by Zoombak
Inc., which promotes its
products' usefulness in tracking
children and automobiles. The
company said it has made changes
to its devices, so that outside
parties can no longer get
location data without passwords.
Bailey and Solnik
are working with the
manufacturer of the car alarm
system to fix its
vulnerabilities. Bailey said the
unidentified manufacturer has
fixed many of the security
issues. Bailey said stricter
security standards are needed.
"We're so excited
to use technology that we're
deploying it too quickly and not
really thinking about the impact
of security," he said.
Online Video demonstration of
attack
Laptop
Thieves
High-Tech Thieves Use Laptops to Steal Cars with RFID
Chips
By
JOHN HOLL - January 7, 2008
NEW YORK --
Security technology created to protect luxury vehicles
may now make it easier for tech-savvy thieves to drive
away with them. In April, high-tech criminals made
international headlines when they used a laptop and
transmitter to open the locks and start the ignition
of an armor-plated BMW X5 belonging to soccer player
David Beckham, the second X5 stolen from him using
this technology within six months.
The most recent theft occurred while Beckham and his
two sons were eating at a restaurant in suburban
Madrid. Spanish police suspected a Bulgarian gang of
car thieves that specialize in stealing luxury cars.
At the time of publication, no suspects had yet been
apprehended.
This highly publicized theft was not the first
indication that keyless systems were vulnerable to
wireless break-ins. Back in 2004, when keyless
technology was still new and touted as unbreakable and
secure, Dr. Aviel D. Rubin, a professor of computer
science at Johns Hopkins University, along with
several of his graduate students examined this
possibility. Within three months they had successfully
cracked the code embedded within the ignition keys of
newer model cars, theoretically allowing them to steal
the autos.
Using a laptop computer, an antenna and specifically
designed software, Rubin and his team extracted a code
that transmits from a small Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) chip inside the key. From there
the team tested more than one trillion possible
encryption answers.
"It was a trial-and-error process," Rubin said. "We
wanted to see if it could be broken and found out that
it could. We were surprised."
Realizing the ramifications of their discovery, Rubin
and his team presented their findings to Texas
Instruments — the makers of the chip — and automaker
representatives and posted their research paper
online. On the site, the team does not reveal the
specifics of how they broke the code, so as to not
enable criminals to harness the technology.
Texas Instruments’ reaction was one of surprise, Rubin
said. The chip manufacturer was skeptical at first,
but once the engineers received an in-person
demonstration, they relented that the technology could
be broken. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that TI,
the world’s largest integrated maker of RFID tags,
smart labels and reader systems, could do about it. A
recall would be nearly impossible and very expensive.
Bill Allen, director of business development for Texas
Instruments' RFID division, did not dispute what the
Johns Hopkins team did, but said it is "a complex
thing and not something that can be done easily."
He said that researchers were working on staying one
step ahead of criminals. Texas Instruments, he said,
had already introduced 128-bit encrypted RFID tags to
make it harder for thieves and hackers to manipulate
the system.
"In practicality, consumers are as safe today as they
were yesterday," Allen said.
Kevin P. McHugh, president of the International
Association of Auto Theft Investigators, said RFID
thefts "are known and growing" in Europe, especially
with expensive cars. However, because the method used
to steal a car isn’t always noted in police reports
here, the specific number of how many cars had been
stolen in the U.S. using laptops is unknown, confirmed
Frank Scafidi, director of public affairs for the
National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Yet these recent thefts may be no cause for alarm in
America. The number of reported car thefts in the U.S.
has increased in 2004 there were more than 1.8 million
cars stolen in the U.S., up 1.9 percent from 2003,
according to the Department of Justice.
"It is getting harder for the amateur to steal cars,"
McHugh said. "The professional thief with high-tech
experience who wants your car for reason ‘x’ is going
to come up with a way to get it, and these days that
often involves using technology."
RFID chips are used in everything from supermarket
scanners to credit cards. Of the hundreds of millions
of RFID ignition keys in use in the United States,
most operate with a 40-bit frequency that broadcasts
their number through the air. In order for thieves to
get access to the numbers, they first must get within
several inches of the key with a receiver. From there,
the signal can be downloaded onto a computer,
processed and broken in about 15 minutes. The thieves
can then feed the signal to the car and successfully
hotwire the vehicle.
Nick Twork, a technology spokesman for Ford Motor
Company, said that while no technology is foolproof,
RFID has contributed to a drop in thefts over the last
several years.
"We are always coming up with new ways to make it
harder for people to steal cars," Twork said. "And if
a car is stolen, we are making it easier to recover."
Twork said that Ford is also working on
next-generation antitheft measures but declined to
elaborate when asked for specifics.
Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance
Information Institute, said that insurance companies
are inclined to offer reduced rates to consumers who
drive cars equipped with antitheft devices like RFID,
alarm systems and safety devices like airbags.
"We feel that anything that can help reduce the number
of thefts is a good thing," Worters said. "It benefits
the owner of the vehicle and the insurance companies."
She added that RFID thefts "are not a big problem in
the [insurance] industry.”
With millions of these tags in circulation, Rubin says
there is not a lot drivers can do to protect
themselves. "You can wrap your keys" in tinfoil, but
that's not very practical," he said. "It is best to
wait until the second-generation tags come out."
Gone in 60 seconds--the high-tech version
By Robert Vamosi
Special to CNET News.com
Published: May 6, 2009, 6:00 AM PDT
Let's say you just bought a Mercedes
S550--a state-of-the-art, high-tech vehicle with an
antitheft keyless ignition system.
After you pull into a Starbucks to celebrate with a
grande latte and a scone, a man in a T-shirt and jeans
with a laptop sits next to you and starts up a
friendly conversation: "Is that the S550? How do you
like it so far?" Eager to share, you converse for a
few minutes, then the man thanks you and is gone. A
moment later, you look up to discover your new
Mercedes is gone as well.
Now, decrypting one 40-bit code sequence can not only
disengage the security system and unlock the doors, it
can also start the car--making the hack tempting for
thieves. The owner of the code is now the true owner
of the car. And while high-end, high-tech auto thefts
like this are more common in Europe today, they will
soon start happening in America. The sad thing is that
manufacturers of keyless devices don't seem to care.
Wireless or contactless devices in cars are not new.
Remote keyless entry systems--those black fobs we all
have dangling next to our car keys--have been around
for years. While the owner is still a few feet away
from a car, the fobs can disengage the auto alarm and
unlock the doors; they can even activate the car's
panic alarm in an emergency.
First introduced in the 1980s, modern remote keyless
entry systems use a circuit board, a coded
radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology chip,
a battery and a small antenna. The last two are
designed so that the fob can broadcast to a car while
it's still several feet away.
The RFID chip in the key fob contains a select set of
codes designed to work with a given car. These codes
are rolling 40-bit strings: With each use, the code
changes slightly, creating about 1 trillion possible
combinations in total. When you push the unlock
button, the keyfob sends a 40-bit code, along with an
instruction to unlock the car doors. If the synced-up
receiver gets the 40-bit code it is expecting, the
vehicle performs the instruction. If not, the car does
not respond.
A second antitheft use of RFID is for remote vehicle
immobilizers. These tiny chips, embedded inside the
plastic head of the ignition keys, are used with more
than 150 million vehicles today. Improper use prevents
the car's fuel pump from operating correctly. Unless
the driver has the correct key chip installed, the car
will run out of fuel a few blocks from the attempted
theft. (That's why valet keys don't have the chips
installed; valets need to drive the car only short
distances.)
One estimate suggests that since their introduction in
the late 1990s, vehicle immobilizers have resulted in
a 90 percent decrease in auto thefts nationwide.
But can this system be defeated? Yes.
Keyless ignition systems allow you the convenience of
starting your car with the touch of a button, without
removing the chip from your pocket or purse or
backpack. Like vehicle immobilizers, keyless ignition
systems work only in the presence of the proper chip.
Unlike remote keyless entry systems, they are passive,
don't require a battery and have much shorter ranges
(usually six feet or less). And instead of sending a
signal, they rely on a signal being emitted from the
car itself.
Given that the car is more or less broadcasting its
code and looking for a response, it seems possible
that a thief could try different codes and see what
the responses are. Last fall, the authors of a study
from Johns Hopkins University and the security company
RSA carried out an experiment using a laptop equipped
with a microreader. They were able to capture and
decrypt the code sequence, then disengage the alarm
and unlock and start a 2005 Ford Escape SUV without
the key. They even provided an online video of their
"car theft."
But if you think that such a hack might occur only in
a pristine academic environment, with the right
equipment, you're wrong.
Real-world examples: Meet Radko Soucek, a 32-year-old
car thief from the Czech Republic. He's alleged to
have stolen several expensive cars in and around
Prague using a laptop and a reader. Soucek is not new
to auto theft--he has been stealing cars since he was
11 years old. But he recently turned high-tech when he
realized how easily it could be done.
Ironically, what led to his downfall was his own
laptop, which held evidence of all his past encryption
attempts. With a database of successful encryption
strings already stored on his hard drive, he had the
ability to crack cars he'd never seen before in a
relatively short amount of time.
And Soucek isn't an isolated example. Recently, soccer
player David Beckham had not one, but two,
antitheft-engineered BMW S5 SUVs stolen. The most
recent theft occurred in Madrid, Spain. Police believe
an auto theft gang using software instead of hardware
pinched both of Beckham's BMWs.
How a keyless car gets stolen isn't exactly a state
secret--much of the required knowledge is Basic
Encryption 101. The authors of the Johns Hopkins/RSA
study needed only to capture two
challenge-and-response pairs from their intended
target before cracking the encryption.
In an example from the paper, they wanted to see if
they could swipe the passive code off the keyless
ignition device itself. To do so, the authors
simulated a car's ignition system (the RFID reader) on
a laptop. By sitting close to someone with a keyless
ignition device in his pocket, the authors were able
to perform several scans in less than one second
without the victim knowing. They then began decrypting
the sampled challenge-response pairs. Using
brute-force attack techniques, the researchers had the
laptop try different combinations of symbols until
they found combinations that matched. Once they had
the matching codes, they could then predict the
sequence and were soon able to gain entrance to the
target car and start it.
In the case of Beckham, police think the criminals
waited until he left his car, then proceeded to use a
brute-force attack until the car was disarmed,
unlocked and stolen.
Hear no evil, speak no evil . . . The authors of the
Johns Hopkins/RSA study suggest that the RFID industry
move away from the relatively simple 40-bit encryption
technology now in use and adopt a more established
encryption standard, such as the 128-bit Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES). The longer the encryption
code, the harder it is to crack.
The authors also suggest that car owners wrap their
keyless ignition fobs in tin foil when not in use to
prevent active scanning attacks, and that automobile
manufacturers place a protective cylinder around the
ignition slot. This latter step would limit the RFID
broadcast range and make it harder for someone outside
the car to eavesdrop on the code sequence.
Unfortunately, the companies making RFID systems for
cars don't think there's a problem. The 17th annual
CardTechSecureTech conference took place this past
week in San Francisco, and CNET News.com had an
opportunity to talk with a handful of RFID vendors.
None wanted to be quoted, nor would any talk about
128-bit AES encryption replacing the current 40-bit
code anytime soon. Few were familiar with the Johns
Hopkins/RSA study we cited, and even fewer knew about
keyless ignition cars being stolen in Europe.
Even Consumer Reports acknowledges that keyless
ignition systems might not be secure enough for prime
time, yet the RFID industry adamantly continues to
whistle its happy little tune. Until changes are made
in the keyless systems, any car we buy will definitely
have an ignition key that can't be copied by a laptop.
LOS ANGELES TIMES - February 8,
2009
Thieves outwit high-tech
advances
Automobile antitheft systems have gotten smart --
but so have networks of criminals.
By Ralph Vartabedian
Times Staff Writer
February 8, 2009
The recent thefts in Southern California of several
Lexus LS 400s, known among security experts for their
antitheft systems that tie into the car's central
computer system, have created new concerns about the
evolving expertise of organized crime rings to defeat
the auto industry's most clever engineering.
In the past, the theft of a few vehicles might not
have seemed like such a big deal. But the ability of
thieves to defeat top-tier automotive technology is
another sign of the sophistication of criminal
networks. Increasingly, car theft is more like
computer hacking than like breaking and entering a
home or business protected by physical locks and keys.
For every step taken by engineers to increase the
difficulty of stealing a car, criminal networks have
responded with schemes to defeat physical and
electronic systems.
"It is a cat-and-mouse game between the bad guys on
the street and the engineers in the lab," said Kim
Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss
Data Institute, a Washington, D.C. insurance group.
Though theft rates have been cut in half, insured
losses remain unchanged from a decade ago as
professional thieves target higher-value vehicles.
Just like any automotive technology, antitheft systems
differ widely in both their design and effectiveness,
said Forrest Folck, who operates Motor Vehicle
Forensic Services in San Diego.
The LS 400s that were stolen are among models that use
a smart key to tie into the car's electronic control
module, or ECM, the central brain for the engine,
transmission and related systems. Unless the smart key
sends the proper code to the ECM transponder, the ECM
disables the electronic fuel-injection system.
Here's how a criminal ring has defeated it: First,
they force the locks on the door and steering column
with a custom-made tool, using a socket wrench coupled
to a specially machined blank key that fits any Lexus
lock and can deform the wafers and tumblers.
Once inside the car, the hood is popped, the steering
wheel lock is broken and the ignition electronics can
be engaged. Normally, however, the ECM transponder
would recognize that the key is not providing the
proper security code.
But a second team member goes straight for the ECM,
unscrewing the 6-by-8-inch box under the hood and
unplugging the 50-pin connector. It is replaced with
an altered ECM with a disabled transponder that does
not shut down the fuel-injection system, Folck said.
Ken Zion, a collision and theft expert from Auto
Collision Consultants, said he inspected two of the
Lexus LS 400s and was impressed with how little damage
was caused during the thefts.
"This was very ingenious," Zion said. "They can do the
entire ECM swap in under five minutes."
The Lexus vehicles were recovered by an inter-agency
auto theft task force, one of 16 in the state funded
with a portion of vehicle taxes in an attempt to keep
a lid on the theft problem.
Southern California is close to the Mexican border and
next to the nation's largest port complex, both
destinations of choice for thieves who want to export
luxury cars to foreign markets, according to
Hazelbaker.
In 2004, there were 2.3 theft claims nationwide for
every 1,000 insured vehicles. By contrast, Los Angeles
has 2.8 theft claims per 1,000 and the claims average
$10,240, about 30% above the national average, he
said.
Mark Stowell, a theft expert with the National
Insurance Crime Bureau who works with the Orange
County Auto Theft Task Force, said police recover 86%
of stolen vehicles. While some are undamaged, many are
stripped, crashed or burned.
Every generation of antitheft technology is good for a
while but eventually gets figured out by criminal
networks, a cycle Hazelbaker has seen play out before.
"A new technology is good for two or three years
before you see the theft statistics creep back up," he
said. "By five or six years, if the manufacturer
hasn't changed the technology, you see the numbers
back to where they were before."
The evolution began with locking steering columns back
in the 1970s. They were effective until thieves
defeated them with brute force. Now, even teenage
thieves know how to defeat a locking steering column.
Among the most sophisticated antitheft systems is the
Bosch controller area network system, used on BMW,
Mercedes-Benz and other brands, Folck said.
But thieves have increasingly found ways to defeat
this system as well, using laptop computers that plug
into the OBD II connector under the steering wheel to
reprogram the vehicle's software. Who is smart enough
to write pirate software to steal cars? Electrical
engineers who are familiar with basic computer design,
Folck said.
Less sophisticated antitheft systems are widely used,
including the General Motors "Pass Key" system. Folck
said Pass Key systems are defeated using a simple
magnetic tool. Consequently, the Cadillac Escalade has
ranked as the most frequently stolen vehicle in the
nation.
Folck said homemade antitheft systems that cut off
power to a key mechanical system often cause thieves
more trouble than a factory device because they are so
unpredictable in design. But even if a homemade or
factory electronic system does work perfectly, it will
not necessarily protect a vehicle.
Some theft teams use casters to elevate a car off its
wheels and then roll it onto a flatbed tow truck.
*Ralph Vartabedian can be
reached at ralph.vartabedian @latimes.com.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE -
January 31, 2008
Researchers Crack Car Key Code
The
Associated Press - 9:21 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2009 -
Researchers said they have found a way to crack the code
used in millions of car keys, a development they said
could allow thieves to bypass the security systems on
newer car models. The research team at Johns Hopkins
University said Saturday it discovered that the
"immobilizer" security system developed by Texas
Instruments could be cracked using a "relatively
inexpensive electronic device" that acquires information
hidden in the microchips that make the system work.
The radio-frequency security system being used in more
than 150 million new Chevrolet, Fords, Chrysler, Toyotas
and Nissans involves a transponder chip embedded in the
key and a reader inside the car. If the reader does not
recognize the transponder, the car will not start, even
if the key inserted in the ignition is the correct one.
It's similar to the new gasoline purchase system in
which a reader inside the gas pump is able to recognize
a small key-chain tag when the tag is waved in front of
it. The transaction is then charged to the tag owner's
credit card. Researchers said they were able to crack
that code, too.
"We stole our own car, and we bought gas stealing
from our own credit card," said Avi Rubin, a
professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins who led
the research team. Texas Instruments was recently given
demonstrations of the team's code cracking capabilities,
but the company maintains its system is secure. Tony
Sabetti, a business manager with Texas Instruments, said
the hardware used to crack the codes is cumbersome,
expensive and not practical for common thieves.
"I think the way in which it's presented as being
inexpensive to do and quick and all the rest of that is
an exaggeration," Sabetti said. "And because of that, we
believe the technology still is extremely secure for the
applications that it's used in." But Rubin said the
code-breaking demonstrations illustrate that developers
did not pay enough attention to security. "I think the
implications are that it sets us back about 10 years ago
where we were with car security," Rubin said.
In the seven years the technology has been in use, Texas
Instruments has never had a reported incident where a
car has been stolen or a gasoline-purchasing tag has
been duplicated, company spokesman Bill Allen said.
BYPASS KITS
This
is a page from an automotive magazine that is offering ByPass Modules for every type vehicle manufactured. This is the proof on why the systems that come standard with the vehicles manufactured today are not doing their jobs.  |
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