Many modern cars come with a so-called “Keyless Go” key. To open the vehicle, the owner only has to wear the remote control on their body. Unfortunately, thieves also use these radio signals. TECHBOOK tells you how to protect yourself.
The car manufacturers praise Keyless Go as a convenience function. After all, opening and starting the car with a key is no longer necessary. Instead, it is enough to carry the transmitter with the radio chip with you so that the car opens as if by magic. However, experts also see a high security risk in precisely this radio technology. Because thieves can intercept the radio connections and open vehicles without any problems, even if the key is 50 meters away. Thefts of this kind have existed for years and the ADAC is currently warning of renewed incidents. But what can you do to protect yourself and your car from such keyless go thefts?
This is how keyless go works
Keyless Go is a radio technology that opens and starts the car without actually having to press a key or button. It is widespread and can be found not only on cars but also on motorcycles.
The vehicle is assigned an individual radio key that is stored on the keyless go key. As soon as the driver approaches with the key, the car recognizes the radio code and unlocks itself. To open the car, all you have to do is press the door handle; to start the engine, just press the start button.
Thieves work with radio range extenders
As early as 2018, BILD reported on high-tech thieves in the Saxony-Anhalt area. Due to the frequent incidents, the experts from AUTO BILD wanted to know exactly how easy it is to crack a car with Keyless Go. They have therefore recreated the hacking technology for about 90 euros. A so-called radio range extender ensures that the signals from the key are also received by the car – even though there is a large distance between the two. The chip in the remote control gives the release for opening.
Even if the key is then in the house, it is not adequately protected. With the appropriate technology, criminals could extend the signal, as shown in the video. “The insidious thing about this trick: once the engine is running, the car can be driven without a key as long as there is fuel in the tank. If a thief refuels while the engine is running, he can easily drive the stolen vehicle over long distances,” warns the ADAC. The experts have tested more than 500 current and older vehicle models for the vulnerability since 2016 – many are still not adequately protected against the attacks.
ADAC warns: Car theft with Keyless Go is too easy
Based on tests and observations, ADAC has seen a major problem in keyless go wireless technology for years. Thieves would only have to be near a suitably equipped car with a small, easily concealed device in order to be able to pick up and copy the radio key. With a second device, the range of the chipping tools can even be extended to several hundred meters. Most of the 500 cars tested by ADAC were not protected from such attacks. Just 5 percent defied the attack and were thus safe from this type of theft.
Another common feature of keyless go theft is that the car is not physically broken into, i.e. there are no signs of a break-in on the vehicle. This can become a problem for later regulation of the insurance.
The car key is safely stored here
Some car makers are already using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology, where the car detects the distance between itself and the key. If it’s too high, it won’t unlock or respond. More and more car models are protected against theft by UWB.
But is it also possible to prevent hackers from tapping the code from the keyless go key apart from UWB? Yes, if the radio contact of the key is disrupted and the signal is blocked. It just has to be stored accordingly:
- A fridge is not only climatically well insulated. It is also very difficult for radio waves from outside to get inside. However, this solution is not practical.
- aluminum foil also helps against radio waves. Whoever wraps up his key isolates him from the outside world. This trick is probably best implemented in everyday life.
- A tin can has the same effect, just like
- the microwave.