Another Merc theft story

[addbuyer]

If the USA can hack into fat boy Kim's missil then I guess this is a doddle

Thieves caught on CCTV hacking Mercedes on couple's drive | Daily Mail Online

 

[Cymruambyth]

If that`s CCTV footage, why does it move so much?

I know it`s old school but, Diskloks are still being used. The ST`s are prone to theft due to the keyless start......and it`s a must for owners of these types of cars. I had one on mine.

 

[grober]

https://www.mbca.org/star-article/march-april-2012/modern-tech-smart-keys-and-keyless-go
Perhaps important to notice this was a Keyless -GO equipped vehicle. Thus an electronic "presence" rather than a physical one [KEY] is required for Drive Authorisation

 

[Lotiman]

If that`s CCTV footage, why does it move so much?

.

Maybe the camera is atop a pole that moves about a bit in the wind. One of those outside my factory does the same.

 

[tangey]

If that`s CCTV footage, why does it move so much?

It's clearly been played back and recorded onto a phone being held in portrait mode, hence the bit of movement and the tall and narrow video, which you would not get natively from a CCTV camera.

 

[Scrooge89]

My ST was taken in the same fashion, just around the corner from that Merc actually. Can't have anything nice without someone wanting to take it or damage it. Sad.

 

[gr1nch]

Sad story, for sure. In the OP article can Mercedes really claim this officially with a straight face?

"A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to learn about this customer's experience but we're not aware of any complaints resulting from theft related to keyless entry/start systems on Mercedes-Benz cars."

I've seen about 5 videos of Keyless-Go thefts from forum posts and that's not with any consideration research. For all marques of car the numbers of these lurking of thefts run into the hundreds, I'm sure, if not thousands.

This attack is a commonly known wireless replay (Man-in-the-middle type) where there is no forced entry to access the OBDII socket.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[Delayed Steve]

I don't think that many cars get stolen this way, if it was the case insurance companies would be charging through the roof. If you've got a car that they want they're going to have it, I'd prefer them to take it off the drive to them breaking in the house for the keys.

 

[uumode]

I always turn my keyless go off when the key is nearby, e.g. in the house or when visiting somebody else's house to remove the opportunity for amplifying the key's signal.

When in a large supermarket / multi storey car park, I just leave keyless go enabled.

 

[219]

If the USA can hack into fat boy Kim's missil then I guess this is a doddle

Thieves caught on CCTV hacking Mercedes on couple's drive | Daily Mail Online

Hmmm , what does the second picture of the car owner in her little black dress add to the story , given there's already a portrait shot ...

 

[Driver15]

Hmmm , what does the second picture of the car owner in her little black dress add to the story , given there's already a portrait shot ...

it just highlighting its a birds car

 

[E55BOF]

Hmmm , what does the second picture of the car owner in her little black dress add to the story , given there's already a portrait shot ...

She's from Essex...

 

[Auto-mobile]

Sad story, for sure. In the OP article can Mercedes really claim this officially with a straight face?

"A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to learn about this customer's experience but we're not aware of any complaints resulting from theft related to keyless entry/start systems on Mercedes-Benz cars."

I've seen about 5 videos of Keyless-Go thefts from forum posts and that's not with any consideration research. For all marques of car the numbers of these lurking of thefts run into the hundreds, I'm sure, if not thousands.

This attack is a commonly known wireless replay (Man-in-the-middle type) where there is no forced entry to access the OBDII socket.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

Bmw did the same, took a while before they admitted there was an issue and did software updates I think.

Flick switch to immobilise the car, job done.

 

[tangey]

I bought one of these of eBay

Mobile Phone Anti-Radiation Signal Blocker Pouch LARGE

Large enough to put a decent size bunch of keys into. Got it today and can confirm the keyless doesn't work whilst the keys are in it.

Yes, you can disable by using the double click, but I generally find the following morning I'm always pulling at the door handle as I forgot that I disabled it the night before.

So, just pop the keys into the pouch beside the bed at night and take them out in the morning....works for me.

 

[tylerdurden]

Surprised as this was a normal merc, not a large engine AMG etc.

How would keeping the key in a blocking pouch help? I thought they were implying this was done without any reference to the keys

Personally, I could easily live without keyless. Wish merc wouldn't bundle it with things I might want

 

[Spin_bowler]

Surprised as this was a normal merc, not a large engine AMG etc.

How would keeping the key in a blocking pouch help? I thought they were implying this was done without any reference to the keys

Personally, I could easily live without keyless. Wish merc wouldn't bundle it with things I might want

No, the "laptop in the satchel" is actually some kind of repeater which amplifies the signal from the keys which are inside the house. Hence the holding it up against the wall routine. The blocking pouch stops the signal 'escaping,' thus protecting the car.

 

[E55BOF]

I had a look at anti-radiation pouches on eBay.

The blurb for one - "UK Shop Shiping only to UK" claims the following property:

"Anti-degaussing, when you put your ID card, bank cards such as IC Magnetism card into the bag, it can avoid magnetism lost and information leak".

Anybody else ever had problems with losing magnetism and leaking information from their bank cards?

(Yes, I do know what they mean....)

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Another 'careful what you wish for moment' - for years people have mosned and whinged about mercedes car keys being a closed shop and you could only buy them from the dealer, so it's no surprise that since they have opened the network to a degree that the cars are getting pinched.

Or they might simply be using the BMW tactic of making the cars that easy to steal so that they can sell even more new metal?!

 

[tangey]

How would keeping the key in a blocking pouch help? I thought they were implying this was done without any reference to the keys

No it requires a keyless keyfob to be in the vicinity.

This attack involves 1 guy using some sort of device that acts as an antenna and booster. He walks around the house, as the other guy constantly tries to open the door. The act of the guy trying the doorhandle gets the car to 'ping' for a nearby keyless entry key. Many keys are clearly left close enough to widows/doors etc, that if you are just outside the house, the signal can be picked up. Using an amplifier boosts this. I imagine it is boosting the return signal from the key rather than the signal from the car, or maybe both.

Once the door is opened, he is in and he constantly tries to start the car, which again results in a 'ping' for a keyless key each time. Once started, they are away. Both cars that I've had which are keyless allow the car to run when the key is out of range, it just sounds a bell to say the key isn't in range anymore. So as long as the car is started, they can drive it until it runs out of fuel.

The pouches onsale act as a faraday cage, stopping the 'ping' from the car reach the key. So whereever you normally keep you key, you just leave the pouch there and put the key in at night and lift it out in the morning.

Here is the video. of the one I saw (it was originaly posted on another thread)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti79UhY0TGc

It's not entirely clear the exact procedure in this video, but I think in this instance, once the car was unlocked, he stayed outside the car and pressed the brake pedal with a sitck and kept pressing the start button, whilst his mate used the antenna. If caught before the car started, it was a quicker get-away than if seated in the car.

 

[Yugguy]

When eventually I'm forced to have keyless go because that's all there is, I'll be getting something like a Ghost fitted.

It does make me laugh - it's another example of the "progression" of technology actually pulling us back. I remember 30 years ago my Dad fitting a physical switch under the dashboard, into one of the ignition wires. If you didn't flick the switch the engine would just crank.

Who actually asked for keyless go. Who actually said "**** me it's such hard work sticking this key in this slot"? NOONE. Yet another "solution" for which there was no problem.