Gone in 3 Minutes: Keyless BMWs a Boon to Hacker Thieves

Have any of you seen this? I hope this isnt a problem in the US.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...less-bmw-gone/

yikes!! seemed fairly simple - and similar to the old method of hotwiring a car, just a hi-tech adaptation. You would think there would be some method of putting a password on the OBD, giving the password to the owner and then allowing the owner to share it with an indy mechanic to do work (like with stereo codes and disabling protection that some car manufacturers use to help prevent stereo theft).
These are the times when I'm glad I keep my baby in a locked garage overnight...

Wow, that is crazy! It will pick up in the U.S. now that the story is circulating.

Funny that the article states how sophisticated the theives are, I could teach my 7 year old nephew how to do this. With the tool it is a very simple process, press this menu item, then go over here and press this one. And the key is ready to go.

As Greg says, thankfully my car is holed up in a garage all night long. I may try to find a padlock big enough to put over my ODB port!

The actual car thieves would be foiled completely with today's technology! It is the companies that make the devices and sell them without any recourse as to the consequences of their product.
The other method used in the UK is for the thieves to jam the signal from the key fob to the car when the person thinks the car is locked! But isn't! so many people click and walk away without checking the car is actually locked.
This method does not depend on getting to the OBD port and remember that to get to OBD port the alarm will sound off!!!!!

I've been thinking about this since keyless entry was introduced. RFID technology is not very well secured.

Hell, they even have a scene of a guy doing this in the new Spider-Man movie.

Yes, this will and already does, happen in the U.S.

Moral of the story: Don't get keyless entry.

I wonder if its cheaper to buy an EDILOCK and do your own key then to take a blank to the dealer...?
After 6 years mine is getting pretty beat-up.

I got a spare key for my X5 from the dealer and all told it was $115. Nothing too crazy.

I just saw that they have key programers on eBay for a variety of prices...

My car is usually in my garage at night. I'm so used to it being in a garage that it feels weird leaving it out at night when I visit relatives and stay with them. It's like leaving a house dog outside.

wow! It makes you wonder if its time to revert back to good old fashioned methods like a steering lock or a hidden engine kill switch.

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older but I don't worry about things that are insured anymore. Heck, if they steal it, take the insurance money and get another one. Might even be an improvement over the one they stole. Just my two cents.

The trick is to get a car that can be replaced, and don't leave anything in it that is irreplaceable.

Originally Posted by petriej

The trick is to get a car that can be replaced, and don't leave anything in it that is irreplaceable.

I never leave anything in my car that cannot be replaced. No need for my iPod and these other gagets anymore because I have hours of music on my USB stick. They can take that and I will have another one ready to go . Plus with technology now one these cars (BMW SOS) that they can locate your car rather quickly. Even if you do not have subscription to the service, once a police report is made, they will activate it based on the police request. Apparently when these guys took the car, they may have known that the owner wasn't coming back for sometime to discover the car stolen and to make a report. Someone might know the owner and know their where abouts I feel.

Two very simple changes that I have done with my 6 Series is:

1. Enable Acoustic acknowledge on locking (the little chirp when you lock/arm the alarm). It's disabled on euro cars. I just used NCS Expert to enable it. This is so I can audibly hear the car as being locking

2. I put a switch on the wire coming from one of the pins in the OBD socket. Without the ability to talk to the car via OBD port these guys cannot make a key for it. A quick Google will help you determine which wire to choose.

Simple changes that will foil this method of stealing the car.

Originally Posted by pablo645

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older but I don't worry about things that are insured anymore. Heck, if they steal it, take the insurance money and get another one. Might even be an improvement over the one they stole. Just my two cents.

I would hate for my car to get stolen simply because the inittial inconvenience it would cause me, but if it did i could care less it's just another care and PABLO645 said it best, thats why you pay insurance.

Like another member said also, don't keep anything in your care that is important either.

Originally Posted by pablo645

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older but I don't worry about things that are insured anymore. Heck, if they steal it, take the insurance money and get another one. Might even be an improvement over the one they stole. Just my two cents.