Thieves could, in theory, break in and steal items without leaving a broken window in your car which has keyless entry systems according to a group of computer security experts.
According to the experts based at the University of Birmingham in Britain and at a German security firm, the remote entry systems on millions of cars made by Volkswagen since 1995 can be cloned to permit unauthorized access to the car’s interior. The same experts say another system used by other brands, including Ford, Chevrolet, Renault and General Motors’ Opel, can also be defeated.
In a paper delivered Friday at the Usenix security conference in Austin, Texas, the authors say a thief could use commonly available equipment to intercept entry codes as they are transmitted by radio frequency, then use that information to clone another remote so the car could be opened.
Volkswagen says its latest models, like the Golf, Tiguan, Touran and Passat, aren’t affected adding that it was having a “constructive exchange” with the experts aimed at improving security technology.
“The bar for theft prevention is constantly being raised, but ultimately there is no comprehensive guarantee for security,” the German automaker said in a statement.
The paper however leaves out key details on how to perform the hack, but says the codes can be intercepted with commercially available equipment.
“It is unclear whether such attacks are currently carried out in the wild by criminals,” the report says. “However, there have been various media reports about unexplained theft from locked vehicles in the last years.”
