Key cloning - Electronic counter measures.

[huckster6]

London Life carried a worrying story last Friday.
Lookee here:
http://tinyurl.com/lfel4m
Any have any ideas as to what measures to take?

[agxster]

This happened to my 57 plate VW Jetta in January while parked in the West End. When I got back to the car I didn't know it had been broken into, only found out when a guy from a building nearby said he saw what happened.

Do a search on Google, apparently the same encryption technology is used by many car and alarm manufactuers and was cracked last year.

[Pickled Piper]

In a number of these cases I am sure that the owners have just forgotten to lock their cars, or inadvertently unlocked them with the fob in their pocket.

The codes on these systems index each time you use them. In basic terms the frequency changes each time you use it. The sequence in which the code indexes or changes is known as a rolling code as is known to the manufacturers. To crack a system like this you need access to the rolling code.

pp

[huckster6]

Pickled Piper said:

In a number of these cases I am sure that the owners have just forgotten to lock their cars, or inadvertently unlocked them with the fob in their pocket.

The codes on these systems index each time you use them. In basic terms the frequency changes each time you use it. The sequence in which the code indexes or changes is known as a rolling code as is known to the manufacturers. To crack a system like this you need access to the rolling code.

pp

I understood the article to be suggesting that a key cloning device was involved, which pretends to be your real key...hey presto, you would have access to the rolling code, according to my reading. I now have a sign saying no valuables, etc. That's apparently helped as there's been no recent repetition.
I am, however, shortly motoring down to northern Italy and want to take all possible precautions on the journey. I've wondered about flame throwers and electric shocks, but those solutions might actually lengthen the journey, I fear.
Any suggestions? Anyone? Please?
Cheers.

[christer]

Well.......

1. Unless the car manufacturers get onboard and try to defend their own security systems, then I guess we are f**ked.
2. Why not use your physical car key to unlock/lock your car? I guess the "cloning device" would have a hard time then?

[huckster6]

...so, the simple act of using the physical key defeats the baddies' electronics? I'll definitely be doing that one - sometimes the simple and obvious works best. Thanks!

[agxster]

More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeeLoq#Side-channel_a...

and here

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/03/keeloq_mas...


And I yes I did double check my car was locked by pulling the door handle.

Edited by agxster on Wednesday 8th July 12:31

[lambo_xx]

huckster6 said:

London Life carried a worrying story last Friday.
Lookee here:
http://tinyurl.com/lfel4m
Any have any ideas as to what measures to take?

God that's a bit scary isn't it.