Are you concerned about signal relaying theft?

[Sig cx-5]

Toyota & Lexus vehicle theft around Ottawa

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/toyota-lexus-relay-attack-1.5380947

Toyota, Lexus owners warned about thefts that use 'relay attacks'

Security experts are warning owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles not to rely on their automobile's anti-theft system following a rash of brazen thefts across the Ottawa region.Since April, criminals have made off with more than 100 of the Japanese-brand vehicles from Petawawa to Casselman, Ont...

ca.news.yahoo.com

That's what they thought back in 2019. Here's what was recently discovered:

“Typically what we were seeing was that groups of thieves would target affluent residential areas in the GTA” Det. Scott Cresswell of the York Regional Police Auto Cargo Theft Unit said in a video statement online. “They would generally scout cars in the early evening hours. Returning in the early morning hours, they would force entry to the vehicle.”

According to police, the suspects would enter the vehicle and reprogram the ignition computer to recognize a new key, or fob, allowing it to be driven away.

Surveillance footage released by police shows on such theft.

Police recover $4.5M worth of stolen high-end vehicles after busting high-tech GTA car theft ring

Police in the Greater Toronto Area say they have busted a car theft ring and seized more than $4.5 million worth of high-end vehicles stolen from GTA driveways.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[Sig cx-5]

Incorrect, The theives sit outside in the car with a device and then the car unlocks. There is literal video footage of them. The little graphic someone posted is wrong. They can do it from a car on the street.

Not incorrect. See post above this one.

 

[youri]

From the Ottawa Police last fall. It seems like the Relay attack is not a common technique in Ottawa, but that instead thief copy keys through the ECM port.

Source: Ottawa Police warn that vehicle thefts in Ottawa and area continue - Stittsville Central - Local News, Events and Business

"Thefts generally occur one of two ways:

1. The driver-side door is mechanically breached – at which point thieves access the vehicle’s Engine Control Module (ECM) port to reprogram a new key. This remains the most common type of vehicle theft and it is not deterred by the use of a Radio Frequency Shield (known as a ‘Faraday bag/box’.)

1. The Signal Amplification Relay Attack (SARA) is not a common technique in Ottawa – however, police continue to raise public awareness about this means where thieves use an amplification device to amplify the signal emanating from the key fob inside the house. That signal is then relayed to the car which unlocks the vehicle and allows it to be started. This type of theft will be deterred by the use of a Radio Frequency Shield (the Faraday bag/box.)"

and:

• "Keep in mind that thieves have returned to steal the replacement vehicle when a vehicle had been stolen, so remain vigilant;"

lol, these thieves have balls....

 

[ceric]

Maybe we should put a lock on OBDII port as well .... It should be how the thieves access the ECU to program a new key.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Best OBD Lock – Prevent OBD Car Theft and Key Cloning with OBD-Saver OBD Port Lock – Frakking Creations

frakkingcreations.com

 

[youri]

Maybe we should put a lock on OBDII port as well .... It should be how the thieves access the ECU to program a new key.

Actually, that was recommended by the police in the article i linked. But i don’t know if these locks are any good and even worth the money. At this point, i feel like if they are going to break in and take the time to copy the key, not sure an obd port lock would really stop them.

And i would probably prefer having to deal with a stolen vehicle than waking up to a car with damaged door sills and dash ripped appart from thieves trying to get in and access the locket port. At least the insurance company can’t argue against a stolen vehicle claim.

 

[ceric]

Gee. I was kidding about OBDII lock..

However, this is a great anti-theft.

Trunk Monkey Bridge | Suburban Auto Group

Suburban Auto Group Home Of The Trunk Monkey!Visit Us at https://www.suburbanautogroup.comSuburban Fordhttps://www.suburbanford.netSuburban Chevrolethttps://...

www.youtube.com

Personally I don't like the idea of having another lock and key to it.
Easy solution is to install a hidden switch on wire into Pin 16 (power, unswitched 12V).
(Correct me if I am wrong here... most OBD devices do not have batteries inside.
They draw power from Pin 16).
Thieves are not likely to figure out what goes wrong or find the switch quickly under time pressure. Simple and reliable.

Pero

 

[Mdryz]

Easy solution is to install a hidden switch on wire into Pin 16 (power, unswitched 12V).
(Correct me if I am wrong here... most OBD devices do not have batteries inside.
They draw power from Pin 16).

You are right that most OBD devices require 12VDC to operate, however the raspberry pi device that criminals use to replace/inject keys into your car's ECM is self-powered. Moreover, it is protected against short circuit and can detect CAN-hi and CAN-lo signals automatically through a pin sweep.

If you are planning to install a kill switch on the CAN bus, make sure to disconnect the car battery first. Abnormal fluctuations in the CAN voltages can cause the ECM to go into error mode, and it only takes milliseconds. If you are worried that splicing the original OBD cable is going to void the warranty, what you can do instead is simply pull the CAN wires out of the OBD port, wrap them in thin insulation tape and insert them back in. When raspberry device fails to register the CAN signal, the thieves will quickly check for kill switches and secondary OBD ports underneath the dashboard, and failing to find the real issue will most likely abort the operation.

That being said, if you have an expensive car and the thieves are targeting your vehicle specifically, they will come prepared and bring their own ECM with pre-registered keys. Also, not to discourage you from protecting your car but there is always one ultimate fail-proof method of stealing a vehicle regardless of how many antitheft devices you put inside: a tow truck. So don't overthink it, get a good car insurance, a signal blocking pouch to store the key while you're out grocery shopping, and a big bright bar across the steering wheel as a visual deterrent.

 

[CX-5um]

Ehhh thieves are only targeting high-resale cars like Toyota and Lexus...

Actually.

Hey thieves try to steal more Mazdas to increase our resale values!!

 

[clownshoes2]

The graphic is not wrong, that is generally how signal relay theft (topic of this thread) is performed. That lady with the Highlander may have had her car stolen using a different/modified method of signal relay theft.

ALL of the thefts with video show the thieves never even approaching the house, except to steal the vehicle. You are incorrect or at least partially wrong.

 

[sm1ke]

ALL of the thefts with video show the thieves never even approaching the house, except to steal the vehicle. You are incorrect or at least partially wrong.

I'm pretty sure you're just confused. The topic of the thread is signal relay theft. The graphic posted by @Kedis82ZE8 explains how this type of theft is performed. He later posts a video (Post #32) that has video footage of signal relay theft. Here is the video again (skip to 2:09).

Keyless Car Theft Explained - Protect Your Car from Keyfob Relay Attacks. (read description)

Modern vehicles with keyless entry and push-to-start technology are vulnerable to a type of attack called the keyfob relay attack. This attack can allow a th...

www.youtube.com

And a few more videos of signal relay theft:

Relay Attack with Massive Antenna - Criminals Steal BMW M2 Competition in 56s - Tesla Not Looked At

Relay Attack with Massive Antenna - Criminals Steal BMW M2 Competition with Relay Attack in 56 Seconds! Parked next to the BMW M2 Competition is a Tesla 3 wh...

www.youtube.com

Keyless car theft. Relay Attack

Keyless entry Mercedes GLC coupe 4 Matic Premium Plus stolen from driveway using relay attack.

www.youtube.com

keyless car theft using signal booster 1

www.youtube.com

As I wrote in my previous post, the lady with the Highlander that you are referencing probably had her car stolen using a different/modified method of signal relay theft, i.e. not the signal relay theft that is being discussed in this thread.


With that said, I found this article that touches on the type of theft that you are describing. There is a video near the end of the article that shows the thieves using a device that looks like a Nintendo Game Boy to walk right up to the car, unlock it, and start it up without trying to boost the key fob signal from inside the house.

Again, this variation of the theft isn't quite the same as the thread topic, but may be related somehow.

 

[clownshoes2]

I'm pretty sure you're just confused. The topic of the thread is signal relay theft. The graphic posted by @Kedis82ZE8 explains how this type of theft is performed. He later posts a video (Post #32) that has video footage of signal relay theft. Here is the video again (skip to 2:09).

Keyless Car Theft Explained - Protect Your Car from Keyfob Relay Attacks. (read description)

Modern vehicles with keyless entry and push-to-start technology are vulnerable to a type of attack called the keyfob relay attack. This attack can allow a th...

www.youtube.com

And a few more videos of signal relay theft:

Relay Attack with Massive Antenna - Criminals Steal BMW M2 Competition in 56s - Tesla Not Looked At

Relay Attack with Massive Antenna - Criminals Steal BMW M2 Competition with Relay Attack in 56 Seconds! Parked next to the BMW M2 Competition is a Tesla 3 wh...

www.youtube.com

Keyless car theft. Relay Attack

Keyless entry Mercedes GLC coupe 4 Matic Premium Plus stolen from driveway using relay attack.

www.youtube.com

keyless car theft using signal booster 1

www.youtube.com

As I wrote in my previous post, the lady with the Highlander that you are referencing probably had her car stolen using a different/modified method of signal relay theft, i.e. not the signal relay theft that is being discussed in this thread.


With that said, I found this article that touches on the type of theft that you are describing. There is a video near the end of the article that shows the thieves using a device that looks like a Nintendo Game Boy to walk right up to the car, unlock it, and start it up without trying to boost the key fob signal from inside the house.

Again, this variation of the theft isn't quite the same as the thread topic, but may be related somehow.

The fact that a similar thing can be done without even getting close to the house is what I am driving at. The picture is somewhat incorrect. What I am saying is that the signal relay theft is happening, but the people aren't going up to the house as depicted.

 

[Sig cx-5]

The fact that a similar thing can be done without even getting close to the house is what I am driving at. The picture is somewhat incorrect. What I am saying is that the signal relay theft is happening, but the people aren't going up to the house as depicted.

This has nothing to do with signal relaying. Your fob could be hundreds of miles away,

 

[sm1ke]

The fact that a similar thing can be done without even getting close to the house is what I am driving at. The picture is somewhat incorrect. What I am saying is that the signal relay theft is happening, but the people aren't going up to the house as depicted.

It honestly feels like you're just trolling now, but I'll try one more time.

The lady with the Highlander had her car stolen by a different type of theft.
The signal relay theft that is being discussed in this thread is not the same thing.
The infographics and videos posted are accurate in describing signal relay theft.
Again, the lady with the Highlander had her car stolen by a different method (not signal relay theft). You can refer to the end of my previous post for more info on that method.

 

[hal2]

Are you concerned about this issue?
Maybe I worry too much.

No.
Yes.

 

[clownshoes2]

It honestly feels like you're just trolling now, but I'll try one more time.

The lady with the Highlander had her car stolen by a different type of theft.
The signal relay theft that is being discussed in this thread is not the same thing.
The infographics and videos posted are accurate in describing signal relay theft.
Again, the lady with the Highlander had her car stolen by a different method (not signal relay theft). You can refer to the end of my previous post for more info on that method.

Not everyone is an electrical engineer and understands things the same way. Maybe I was mistaken on the exact specific way of this particular theft. All I'm saying is that thieves can sit in their vehicle to grab your code and then steal your car. I mean if you want to get absolutely specific about this and that and not understand nuances of conversation then that's on you. I'm speaking in generalities. Seems you're more concerned about being right than just having a conversation.

 

[Sig cx-5]

.. All I'm saying is that thieves can sit in their vehicle to grab your code and then steal your car....

You're still not getting it. The above is not what is occurring.