You Arrive Home and Your Car Keys Become a Target for Tech-Savvy Thieves
As you arrive home, you absentmindedly toss your car keys on the table near the front door. Little do you know, this simple action is all that today’s thieves need to execute a dangerous “relay attack.” They can capture the signal from your key fob, effortlessly unlock your car, and drive away with it. This is just one example of the high-tech methods criminals are adopting to steal cars.
According to experts, car thieves increasingly target keyless entry vehicles by breaching the computer systems integrated into the cars’ communication network. One of the latest methods gaining attention is the “CAN bus attack.” In the auto industry, “CAN” refers to the “controller area network,” which denotes the message-based electronic system enabling different parts of a vehicle to communicate with one another.
Steve Lobello, owner of S&A Security in River Grove, Illinois, explains that one common method is using key programmers that can be plugged into a vehicle’s diagnostic port or the CAN bus network itself. Lobello states, “The CAN bus network is essentially the vehicle’s nervous center, where all processing takes place. It allows for various operations, including deleting and programming new keys, essentially giving access and control over the vehicle.”
Tablets used by locksmiths and security specialists to reprogram key fobs have been stolen or can be legally purchased online by thieves seeking ways to hack into targeted vehicles. Demonstrating how quickly he could gain access to a vehicle’s main frame and reprogram a key, Lobello used one of these tablets to complete the process in less than a minute.
The vulnerability of keyless entry vehicles has made them prime targets for car thieves. Ivy Stryker of Farmington, Michigan experienced the CAN bus attack not once, but twice. The first occurrence took place when his car was parked next to a wall, and he discovered a stranger inside his vehicle. Stryker had installed a security system to protect his Dodge Charger Hellcat, fully aware of its appeal to thieves. However, recent data from the Highway Loss Data Institute revealed the Charger SRT Hellcat as the most targeted car between 2020 and 2022, with a theft rate 60 times higher than any other vehicle built during that time period.
Vehicle thefts have taken a downward spiral, with over a million cars stolen in 2022, the highest number since 2008, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). On average, that’s about two cars stolen every minute. David Glawe, President & CEO of NICB, emphasizes the constant battle between criminal organizations and law enforcement in staying one step ahead of each other. The challenge lies in identifying vulnerabilities and closing security gaps promptly.
The NICB has been gathering data on stolen vehicles for years, but the specific method of theft often remains untracked. The organization reports the number of cars stolen due to keys being left inside the vehicles, but this accounts for only 11% of the total cars stolen between 2019 and 2021, which exceeds 2.6 million. The lack of data from law enforcement and the auto industry hampers efforts to combat this issue effectively.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey expressed concern about keyless entry systems potentially contributing to the rising rates of vehicle theft. In response, he sent letters to 17 carmakers urging them to take action and prevent keyless entry systems from becoming a security liability. Unfortunately, the carmakers provided no concrete answers regarding the number of stolen vehicles or the methods used by car thieves.
Tracker UK, a company specializing in recovering stolen cars, has been collecting high-tech car theft data. Their figures show that in July 2023, keyless car theft reached an all-time high in the U.K., accounting for 98% of all recovered stolen vehicles during that month. Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker UK, explains that criminals swiftly reverse-engineer security technology, rendering it vulnerable to attacks within days or weeks of its release.
Wain emphasizes the importance of tracking how vehicles are compromised to prompt action from the auto industry. However, the rapid adoption of keyless entry technology in mainstream vehicles has left them highly susceptible to attacks. According to Wain and security expert Steve Lobello, over 90% of vehicles are vulnerable to these attacks. Unfortunately, information on breaching vehicle technology is readily available on platforms like YouTube, serving as a “school” for aspiring car thieves.
Given the growing threat of high-tech car theft, security specialist Steve Lobello advises installing after-market security systems, such as IGLA, which create a firewall against CAN bus attacks. These systems require the driver to input a pre-programmed code using factory buttons in a specific sequence to start the car. Even if a thief manages to access the vehicle’s CAN bus, they won’t have the required secondary button code authentication to start the car.
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