Neighbour's BMW stolen with a laptop?

[True Romance]

So our neighbours had their BMW stolen on Sunday evening with what looks like just a laptop. Sorry video not the best due to it being dark but you can see 3 youths walking past on the other side of the road. One appears to be carrying a open laptop. They stop opposite next door for a few seconds they one of them walks across the road and enters the car followed a few seconds later by the other two. Then after just a few more seconds the car drives off. So question is how on earth can a car be stolen with just a laptop and how can you stop it?

 

[DaveD]

So our neighbours had their BMW stolen on Sunday evening with what looks like just a laptop. Sorry video not the best due to it being dark but you can see 3 youths walking past on the other side of the road. One appears to be carrying a open laptop. They stop opposite next door for a few seconds they one of them walks across the road and enters the car followed a few seconds later by the other two. Then after just a few more seconds the car drives off. So question is how on earth can a car be stolen with just a laptop and how can you stop it?

https://www.t6forum.com/threads/some-%C2%A3-has-stolen-my-key.24031/page-2#post-329055

Keyless entry and ignition, people call it progress, I call it stupidity.

 

[Loz]

Relay attack, very common these days.

see the box here

 

[Dellmassive]

Similar happens to me...

They cloan the older style keyfob rf signal to get into the car... then plug in a black box into the obd2 port override the immobiliser...

Because you don't need a physical key the steering wheel lock just opens and the car will start.


New cars with keyless entry are the works. (BMW, range rover etc) . . . . With these they just use some technical kit in a back pack to boost the key signal, so the car thinks you are next to it.... and just opens up.

Look on YouTube for car relay attacks.

Thank god our T6 vans don't have keyless entry.

And need a physical key to start and release the steering wheel lock.

Get your neighbour to get a Faraday key pouch to block the key signal.... and fit a steering wheel lock.

 

[Dellmassive]

show your neighbour this link . .

Beefing Up Your Vans Security - How I Done It -

Beefing Up your Vans Security - How I Done It - After recently having a BMW car stolen off the driveway at night, in full view of a cctv camera, Security was high on the agenda. The tealeafs had managed to cloan the key by grabbing the code from the air which gave them entry to the motor and...

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[Loz]

Or fit a Ghost

 

[Niknak]

Such a poor system, unfortunately these people follow victims and like already been said they basically pick the code out the air whilst your locking the vehicle, but still silver lining is it was a bmw

 

[JOG]

Such a poor system, unfortunately these people follow victims and like already been said they basically pick the code out the air whilst your locking the vehicle, but still silver lining is it was a bmw

Fair point, at least it was only a BMW!

 

[Niknak]

Saves them having to have the crank bearings and egr done

 

[Dellmassive]

Any keyless entry vehical is susceptible..

Especially BMW, Ford, mini, land rover etc. That have had the obd2 port hack attack for a while now.

The only way round it is to Faraday keypouch the key.

Fit a wheel lock.

Fit a ghost.

Fit a tracker.

Fit a second alarm.


Layers And barriers....

 

[True Romance]

Thanks chaps. Didn't seem like a relay attack as they never went near the house? Was definitely carrying something and they were spotted sitting in a cer with a laptop in use earlier in the day.

 

[RayF]

My BMW has Connected Drive and it’s possible to lock and unlock the car remotely using an app on my phone/tablet.

 

[Murdoch]

Keyless entry and keyless start is a really daft idea by manufacturers ....

 

[DaveD]

Keyless entry and keyless start is a really daft idea by manufacturers ....

I agree but to be fair they all fight for market share and they know that the public are obsessed with technology and gimmickry so they have to keep adding more pointless features to vehicles in order to keep selling them.

 

[Murdoch]

I agree but to be fair they all fight for market share and they know that the public are obsessed with technology and gimmickry so they have to keep adding more pointless features to vehicles in order to keep selling them.

well, with more and more people seeing vanishing BMWs - would you buy one ?

 

[DXX]

well, with more and more people seeing vanishing BMWs - would you buy one ?

It would be worth buying one just to booby trap.

 

[Dellmassive]

Its unfortunate that all security system can be cracked, its just a matter of time, as to how long it takes.

Including the car entry, start, immobiliser security.

The good old ignition key and steering barrel is the best bet at the moment.

But I can't imagine the manufacturers going back to that system any time soon.

The only solution moving forwards is to have live connected cars that can have the security firmware updated and patched as soon as breaches or vunrabilitys have been identiried . . . . And even then you can't remove the chance of a hack/theft... but at least you can prevent further theft.


Atm once a security breech has been posted on the net, any spotty teenager can action it, normally with cheap hardware from ebay and some hacker software download from some foreign server....

Unfortunately now days this is now financed by organised crime rings that have the cars stripped in hours or send abroad and ringed.


Technology is currently the problem......Technology needs to be the solution.

If not forget the tech and go back to physical security like a lock and key......

Rant over =)

 

[DaveD]

From a Policing point of view, if Police stop three known thieves at 2.00 AM prowling a housing estate and find any or all of them in possession of screwdrivers or other "old school" tools of the car thief, they're looking at a trip to the station and a day in court for "going equipped to steal". Police know many of these thieves and can target them to disrupt their activities, preventing some crime before it happens. I did that many times for many years.
Stop the same 3 lads with a laptop and the Police have nothing. No power to seize it or examine the software installed on it or do anything further without evidence of a crime, even if the Officer has a hunch of what that laptop is going to be used for.
Technology is only a part of the answer and when manufacturers rely solely on technology with no physical security you get the results shown in the video in post 1.

 

[JOG]

From a Policing point of view, if Police stop three known thieves at 2.00 AM prowling a housing estate and find any or all of them in possession of screwdrivers or other "old school" tools of the car thief, they're looking at a trip to the station and a day in court for "going equipped to steal". Police know many of these thieves and can target them to disrupt their activities, preventing some crime before it happens. I did that many times for many years.
Stop the same 3 lads with a laptop and the Police have nothing. No power to seize it or examine the software installed on it or do anything further without evidence of a crime, even if the Officer has a hunch of what that laptop is going to be used for.
Technology is only a part of the answer and when manufacturers rely solely on technology with no physical security you get the results shown in the video in post 1.

@DaveD - I am going to try to avoid climbing up on my soapbox here...

The underlying issue is the inability of legislatures to keep up with the advances in technology. There are solutions out there but their use contradicts with existing legislation. The law is stuck in an era when the only equipment a copper had was a whistle and a truncheon!

 

[DaveD]

The solution is a solution to a problem that doesn't need to exist, carrying and using keys is not a problem!!! Convenience for me is not having to put my "Not a key" in a Faraday bag every evening!
And while I'm on the subject of technology you don't need, at least I can drive over a cattle grid!!!

Cattle grid triggers emergency brakes in some modern cars

Some modern cars are being left confused by cattle grids because emergency braking systems mistake them for obstructions, a council has said.

www.dailymail.co.uk