Hijacking a keyless entry MB?

[uumode]

Can you hijack a Mercedes with keyless entry/start with key in pocket?

Say in this scenario illustrated by the Ferrari driver when he leaves the car?
i.e. what happens if the thief drives off out of key range?

https://www.facebook.com/HellaflushRC/videos/850089821774025/?fref=nf

 

[mr. shr]

Answer to your question is, "Yes."

If engine is already running then yes anyone can just jump in and be away with your car.
In this case, if the car key is in the owner's pocket but engine still running, then motor cyclist can easily drive away.
Worst case scenario is that that the dash will simply moan about the key not being detected, but (stupidly) WONT shut engine off and thief just continues on their merry way!!!
BS system if you ask me.

 

[Bonecho]

Thieves are more likely to steal it from the comfort of their own car using a laptop as they pick up the key code as you walk away.

Most stolen cars in the UK: BMW X5 is thieves most targeted car | Cars | Life & Style | Daily Express. I see four MB are in the top 10 list!!!

I never liked keyless start on my old Mondeo as I was always losing the keys. With the keys in the ignition now in my new C Class I no longer have that problem and my car is harder to steal.

 

[Lotiman]

Don't know about newer MB's but I know you couldn't do it with older ones. A pal of mine has an old S Class with keyless go that he reversed out of the garage for his wife and left the engine running to warm it up. As she came out of the house to get in the car, they said goodbye and he promptly drove off in his other car, forgetting the keyless go thing was in his pocket.

Unfortunately for him, he had also left his phone at home so for the rest of the day was blissfully unaware that when out of range the S Class stopped and his wife was going nowhere. He certainly knew all about it when he got home though and has been reminded of it many times since whenever the opportunity arises, as is often the way with the fairer sex.

 

[TheFoX]

I love the way the Daily Express article states that we should provide additional protection for our cars.

In buying a modern car, the security should be bullet proof, in that there shouldn't be any loopholes that thieves can abuse. For example, if there is a diagnostic port than can be used to re-program a car, it should be in a location that makes a quick connection unavailable. Also, if the system detects that the key is no longer in range, it should shut the engine down gently, allowing a safe pull over, then disable the engine completely.

Why pay thousands for a vehicle if the security measures are pitiful, and why pay extra for things such as Tracker, when these devices can be overcome so easily. (Thieves use the same technology that is used to block mobile phone signals, and which is freely available to buy).

The industry needs to take a more active role in car security, instead of taking our cash and expecting us to take full responsibility for security.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

In that scenario keyless-go is no different to having a traditional key. If you leave the engine running and the door open/unlocked then a thief can get in and drive away.

If the driver had switched off the engine and taken the key with them, regardless of whether the car has a traditional key or keyless-go, a thief can't start the engine.*

* without another key or some clever plug in diagnostics gear

The range of the keyless-go key is short, or at least it is on the cars we've had with it, and so the engine won't start if the key is out of range (not in the car).

The engine will continue to run if the key goes out of range after it has been started up though, albeit with warnings on the dashboard.

 

[whitenemesis]

But does the engine then shut down if the car comes to a stop once out of range of the key?

I can see why it wouldn't cut out if the car was moving for safety reasons but once stationary?

Of course once the thieves reach their destination and switch off they'll never start it again. Not sure one can even with Xentry/STAR?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

None of the cars we've owned with keyless-go have closed down the engine when the key is out of range, even when the car is stationary.

After we'd been out in Mrs D's car, I dropped her off at home, and went to refuel. The keys were in Mrs D's handbag at home and I missed the warning on the dashboard. I didn't realise until I tried to restart the car to drive home. Luckily the petrol station wasn't busy, and relatively close to home!

 

[uumode]

On that note, I bet the geo fencing doesn't shut down the engine either, and just sends a notification that your car has just breached your designated area and is going out of bounds. (After car engine turned off).

 

[190]

[FONT=&quot]If as it appears, car thieves have figured out how to crack the codes of keyless entry cars they won’t need the key after hijacking the car. They are apparently plugging in a laptop and downloading the information to make a new key. I have to say I just didn't get keyless go even before it was demonstrated to be insecure. What was wrong with using a key. It seems we are all to potentially suffer the very high repair cost of electronic key locking systems when they go wrong and it turns out they aren't even a step forward in security.[/FONT]

 

[uumode]

[FONT=&quot]If as it appears, car thieves have figured out how to crack the codes of keyless entry cars they won’t need the key after hijacking the car. They are apparently plugging in a laptop and downloading the information to make a new key. I have to say I just didn't get keyless go even before it was demonstrated to be insecure. What was wrong with using a key. It seems we are all to potentially suffer the very high repair cost of electronic key locking systems when they go wrong and it turns out they aren't even a step forward in security.[/FONT]

I've seen some cars resort to the old fashioned mechanical anti theft deterents that I used in my hot hatch in the 1990's! - backwards.

 

[190]

I was interested to do more research on Keyless go vulnerability. As well as plugging a laptop into the car there is another method.

Keyless go works when the car detects the "key fob" is within a certain short distance of the car so that if the car is on the drive and the key is in the house you are normally safe. What some thieves have done is to find a way of amplifying the signal to extend the detection distance so that they can open your car and drive it away while the key is in the house. The suggested precaution is to put the key inside a Faraday cage i.e. enclose it in a metal box. The Americans apparently put the key in the freezer but I'm not sure I would do that, any metal box would be fine.