Thieves use new tech to target electronic car fob signals

BOSTON — Thieves are working with a sophisticated new device to use your car’s electronics against you. To make matters worse, it leaves no trace.

Unlocking your car

When a key fob is used to unlock a car, the fob sends an electronic signal that can be intercepted.

"It's a like device that's being used to pop open those locks by reading the fob signal that communicates between the key fob and the vehicle itself,” Dave Renaud, a special agent with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said.

The device can then duplicate the signal and unlock a car when the driver is not around.

How does it work?

Samy Kamkar, a nationally known computer hacker agreed to show FOX25 how it works. It’s something in the past he has refused to do for crooks.

"I'm fairly confident I'll be able to break in,” he said.

FOX25 got a rental van and gave the fob to Kamkar. He took the fob to his computer lab and programmed a circuit board to intercept the signal.

"Basically I am looking at the signal that the key fob sends to the vehicle,” he said.

That signal is only sent from the fob when the unlock button is pushed.

"When the vehicle owner attempts to unlock for the first time, it won't work. That first unlock that never registered with the vehicle is stored in here and the attacker can essentially, without the key, use this device to unlock the vehicle,” he said.

After a short time, Kamkar was able to get in to the van.

Caught on camera

Renaud and the National Insurance Crime Bureau have studied surveillance video of thieves using the device.
Stephen Doi told FOX25 he caught a thief with his dash cam.

“You feel you’ve been outsmarted. I thought I had everything on lockdown." "On the video you can hear the door locks go bip,” he said.

Unfortunately in Doi’s case, it was too late. The thief got away with a few thousand dollars-worth of electronics

Is my car safe?

"Each make and model communicates the same. So once you’ve looked at one car key for the make and model, it pretty much covers that make and model for all other vehicles,” Kamkar said.

The hardware for the device costs $30. While it allows thieves into the car, it will not let them start the engine.

Boston key crime

FOX25 reached out to Boston police who said they are aware of the device, but have not yet seen any reported instances in our city.

Cox Media Group