BMW Security Concerns

[andysat]

im gonna turn a blind eye to it and plead ignorance..... just like i do to most attrocities in the world today

if i dont see it, it aint happening :?

Good outlook-it is frightening tho

 

[Adamski]

Would depend how thick your garage door is and how strong the radio signal between the car & fob is adamski. Bear in mind wifi signals will travel through some house walls (and yet be completely useless in other houses).

This story has been growing in momentum on places like PH and BMW blogs/forums for a while now. It is hard to believe BMW are still sticking their heads in the sand over it, and that someone like Watchdog or the Daily Wail haven't cottoned on to it and caused a much greater fuss.
Would make a nice tabloid story if a large part of the BMW Olympic fleet went missing within a month or two!

Nightmare, no where is safe

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

Can they get the signal if you lock and unlock your car in the garage?

That isn't how they are now stealing BMWs. The kit to Intercept the transponder signal is no longer needed.

It works like this: Thieves use a radio jammer so the car doesn't lock with the remote. Owner walks away thinking the car is locked. Thief then opens up the car and plugs a key programmer into the OBD port. New key is ready to use in under 30 seconds. Thief starts car with newly programmed fob and drives off.

Or they go looking for a BMW that isn't locked.

If they really want a specific car and it is locked, they can pick the door lock in less than a minute.


That is a brand new X6M in the first video I linked. It still has the shipping film on the dead pedal. Car is possibly stolen from dealer stock.


How about a single device for BMW and VAG cars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X79qK7e-ZKA&feature=plcp

 

[andysat]

 

[Anonymous]

This is all very worrying when you see how easy it is, but lets not forget - if they want your car, they will get it, its always been like that....

 

[Adamski]

Tow truck + unattended car = no car

 

[Z4andy]

There has been cases of door locks being drilled/removed and somehow the alarm does not sound.

It has been rumoured that the car is then coded to a key and not the other way around (key coded to car).

One chap recently intercepted thieves who ran off. Door lock removed and door was open.

No alarm sounded :? Don't have a clue how that would be.

 

[TitanTim]

There has been cases of door locks being drilled/removed and somehow the alarm does not sound.

It has been rumoured that the car is then coded to a key and not the other way around (key coded to car).

One chap recently intercepted thieves who ran off. Door lock removed and door was open.

No alarm sounded :? Don't have a clue how that would be.

I think its been found that if the window is broken the alarm doesn't go off i.e. their is a blind spot, same for the area around the OBD socket

Tim.

 

[M@r]{]

So the key, excuse the pun is to secure the OBD socket? Perhaps even disconnect it?

Worried about our 5 Series now. I often leave it at station car parks over night. Sounds like the Z4 would be safer

 

[cj_eds]

It has been rumoured that the car is then coded to a key and not the other way around (key coded to car).

I don't know about modern BMW's, but that is the way older Fords used to do it (the PATS keys I think they were called). Each keyfob had a small transponder that looked like a fuse, and it stored a unique number. The car's ECU then stored the ID numbers of keys that were allowed to start the car.
I bought a new key fob at one point and you could add a new key to the car very easily provided you had an existing key. There was some sort of "secret" combo (commonly available on line) where you pressed various buttons while turning the ignition on then inserted your new key. If you didn't have an existing key then the Ford garage would do it for you.... by plugging in their tool to the ECU via... you guessed it... the OBD socket.

The industry spec for the diagnostics protocol used on the OBD has security built in to it, but it's pretty woeful. Lots of people know how to crack it with brute force and now fancier algorithms. Generally it's the way a lot of 3rd party diagnostics tool manufacturers make their systems - instead of paying the car manufacturers lots of cash for the access codes.

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

{"]So the key, excuse the pun is to secure the OBD socket? Perhaps even disconnect it?

Yes.

Worried about our 5 Series now. I often leave it at station car parks over night. Sounds like the Z4 would be safer

All BMWs that use fob style keys are at risk. The immobilizer on older BMWs is cracked too, but the thief has to pick or punch the lock too.

 

[Allattar]

Right then, whats the easiest way of disabling the OBD socket in such a way that it can be enabled relatively easily for trips back to the dealers?