Yes, keyless autos are frequently more difficult to steal. Having said that, it also relies on the situation and the specific model. Some versions include keyless entry, which opens the doors when the key is nearby, but they still require a traditional key to start the vehicle. Keyless entry and keyless start vehicles are the most susceptible to relay theft.
Relay theft is also not a recent occurrence, therefore manufacturers have been working on solutions to stop it for some time. As a result, some more sophisticated vehicles include features built to prevent keyless auto theft.
In This Article...
Are BMWs Difficult To Steal?
You spend a lot of money on a BMW, so it makes sense that you’d want to know whether parking it in a lot or on your driveway at night will be safe. When you get the solution, though, you might not be very pleased.
BMWs are expensive, therefore you would think that they would be nearly impossible to steal. However, most people concur that if a hacker has the necessary equipment and skills, BMWs are fairly simple to steal. Your car might not be able to be stolen by a regular street criminal, but someone with considerable skill will probably find it much simpler. The hacker could only require a laptop and a toolkit to get control of your valuable asset.
BMW acknowledges that it cannot prevent thieves from taking its most recent keyless cars using tools that are easily accessible online. Those keys that you don’t have to put into the ignition appear to be the problem. Your pocket’s keys signal to the automobile that you are in possession of the key fob, and the vehicle complies. Thieves can purchase a relay box online, which stretches the signal from your key fob and bounces it to a person nearby, allowing them to approach your car and drive off.
BMW claims they have no choice but to remain silent in the face of criticism. BMWs previously had a double lock feature, but the business felt pressed to introduce more cutting-edge technology. They unintentionally made it simpler to take the autos.
Keyless theft – what is it?
Even though high-tech tools are required for it to function, relay theft, which is another name for car theft without car keys, is a relatively simple process. Criminals first look for the relay transmitters and amplifiers they need to make the theft in the shadowy corners of the internet.
Using their technology, they will then target homes with desired automobiles parked outside and determine whether or not the car has a keyless entry and start system.
Working in pairs, one burglar will hold the transmitter by the car while the other carries the amplifier around the house’s perimeter. The amplifier will be able to strengthen the key’s signal and send it in the direction of the transmitter if it is close enough.
The transmitter then effectively serves as the key, deceiving the vehicle into believing the genuine key is nearby, allowing the criminals to unlock the vehicle, jump inside, and take off. There is really nothing that can be done to deter the thieves because the entire process may be finished in as little as 60 seconds and almost in full silence. This is due to safety considerations because the engine won’t just shut off when the key is out of reach.
The research organization for the UK insurance industry, Thatcham Research, is led by Richard Billyeald, its chief technical officer “Our calculations indicate that keyless entry systems are currently installed in 1% of all vehicles on the road, but they are gradually making their way from high-end vehicles to more reasonably priced vehicles. All keyless systems up until recently utilized the same technology, making them all vulnerable.”
Keyless theft may be related to organized crime, according to police information, according to Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, a company that tracks stolen automobiles. He said, “These crooks are really crafty, switching from one commodity to the next.” Many have diversified into the area since they are now aware of and have access to the technologies needed to steal cars.
Wain claims that after an automobile is taken, officials frequently have only a few hours to find it. Many vehicles would be sent to Eastern Europe, he added, and police have also discovered an increase in chop-shops where expensive cars are quickly disassembled for pieces.
According to Richard Billyeald, the sector is also reacting, and he added: “New systems are already being developed by manufacturers. Several recent models already offer configurations that are resistant against relay assaults. Even if they have the same functionality, relay devices cannot trick them.”
In the future, Billyeald said, “There’ll be increasing emphasis on vehicle security to take into account things like keyless theft.” Thatcham Research will update its New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA) test. Billyeald stated that brands that haven’t theft-proofed their systems may experience an increase in their group ratings as a result of the NVSA, which has an impact on insurance group ratings.
How simple is it to steal your car?
Over the previous five years, car thefts in the UK have surged by 50%, with more than 100,000 vehicles taken in England and Wales alone in 2016. WhatCar investigated the matter thoroughly and discovered that our/their expensive keyless entry systems are the main source of the problem.
ABI (Association of British Insurers) states that it is challenging to specifically attribute a numerical “extent” to which keyless systems have caused the rise, but insurers and the police agree that the increase in the number of keyless vehicles on the road has played a significant role, especially because they tend to be higher-end vehicles.
These keyless systems broadcast a code that is picked up by the automobile to allow you to enter and start the vehicle, and they are undeniably very convenient. A booster then repeats the code next to the car, opening the doors and enabling the push-button ignition, but the problem is that scanning tools used by criminals may also pick up the code even when your key is inside.
Two security professionals were discovered by WhatCar to “use any non-damaging technology to obtain access to seven keyless entry cars.” The results were, to put it mildly, frightening. It measured how long it takes to drive away. False thieves utilized a scanning equipment in five autos and a lockpick in two others.
When equipped with scanning and boosting devices, robbers can flee from keyless entry cars in as little as 10 seconds. According to the security professionals, stealing a car without keyless entry takes roughly two and a half minutes.
It’s nearly impossible to steal the autos when the key fobs are inactive or sleeping. When the key fobs weren’t in use, the Audi TTRS, BMW X3, Ford Fiesta, and Mercedes A-Class weren’t taken, but when they were, they were. The Peugeot DS3 was also taken right away since it lacked a key fob with a sleep/inactive mode. The Land Rover Discovery has an ultra-wide-band signal, which makes it much more difficult to copy (keep in mind that these are all British models). Thieves could enter, but they couldn’t drive away. Ultra-wide band is not used by the Discovery Sport, hence it was taken in 20 seconds.
By pressing the lock button twice, many key fobs can be made inactive or put to sleep. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to fully disable others. Motion sensor key fobs can now be retrospectively used in some vehicles that didn’t ship with them. To find out if yours is included, you must contact your dealer. A Faraday Bag, which prevents any signals entering or leaving the pouch, is additionally available to everyone. Your key fob can’t be touched once you’ve inserted it. Finally, because the signal often only travels a distance of less than 15 feet at night, keep your key fobs within your home. If it doesn’t go into sleep or inactive mode, don’t place it at your front door.
Regarding Relay Attacks
Relay attacks can target keyless entry systems. The employment of technology to trick the car’s key fob into unlocking and starting the car is known as a relay attack. This is how it goes:
- Two robbers approach a car carrying hacking tools.
- Thief #1 is holding a hacking device while standing next to the car.
- Thief #2 uses a hacking tool to extend his reach inside the car’s key fob to a maximum of 50 feet.
- Thieves frequently wait outside a home or other structure where the key fob is situated. A key fob can be hacked from up to 50 feet away. Some of the more advanced hacking tools can operate 300 feet or less from a key fob.
- Signals from the car are received by Thief #1’s hacking tool. It then transmits the signals to the hacking tool used by Thief #2.
- The hacking tool used by Thief #2 transmits signals from the car to the key fob.
- The key fob is made to believe that the car is close by. Signals from the key fob enable entrance into the car.
- The key fob’s signals are picked up by thief #2’s gadget, which subsequently transmits them to thief #1’s device.
- The device used by Thief #1 unlocks the car, allowing the thieves to turn the ignition.
- The robbers board the car and take off.
It simply takes a few minutes to complete the process. Know what’s frightful? These hacking tools are absurdly simple to locate. They cost roughly $100 and are available on Amazon and eBay.
What happens if your BMW key is lost?
If you still have one key, you must bring your car, one piece of personal identification, one form of address identification, and the V5C logbook to your selected BMW Center*. You will need to make arrangements for your automobile to be delivered to your preferred Center along with the necessary documentation if you have lost both keys and are unable to access the vehicle.
* A photocard driver’s license cannot be used for both address identification and personal identification.
To keep you safe, our Centers are required to adhere to these security precautions. Additionally, you’ll have to sign for your new key upon picking it up.
Can a car be stolen without the keys?
Recently, a Swiss study discovered that burglars may steal your automobile without actually using a key or even breaking in. There may be a number of issues with the computer protocols and cryptographic methods used to protect keyless entry vehicles.
Researchers looked at ten auto models from eight different manufacturers. By intercepting and relaying signals from the cars to their wireless keys, they were able to gain entry to all 10 of them and drive them away.
Typically, a low-powered signal permits keyless door unlocking and engine start when a wireless key is a few meters away from the appropriate car. Even though the key was well beyond the needed radius, the scientists employed a pair of antennas to transfer these signals from the automobile to it. To gain access to the car and take it, one antenna must be quite close to it, and a second antenna must be eight meters or less from the key.
Two comparatively inexpensive stealing scenarios were developed by the researchers. Depending on the electronic components used, the materials for the wired attack cost about $50, while those for the wireless attack cost between $100 and $1,000.
In the first situation, the owner of the car might leave the key next to a window. The researchers were able to start the car that was parked in front of the home by using the antenna that was installed outside to communicate with the key.
The second scenario involves a burglar surveying a parking lot and having a companion watch as drivers enter a neighboring store. It would be simple to evade detection because the accomplice would only need to be eight meters away from the owner’s key fob who was being targeted.
Naturally, the research’s objective is to assist automakers in coming up with a way to enhance next security systems, not to promote auto theft.
According to University of California, Berkeley computer science professor David Wagner, “a unpleasant characteristic of high-tech car theft is that it doesn’t leave any sign of forced entry,” making it difficult for law enforcement and insurance companies to gather enough proof of what occurred. He thinks that everyone involved needs to make plans for this possibility.