EXCLUSIVE: Ultra-wideband radio has been heralded as the solution for “relay attacks” that are used to steal cars in seconds. But researchers found Teslas equipped with it are as vulnerable as ever.
    • pivot_root@lemmy.worldEnglish
      253·
      4 months ago

      Oh no, a more expensive subscription (for insurance) for a car that makes you already subscribe to be a beta tester of a technology that runs you into the side of a train!

    • CaptainPedantic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      4 months ago

      Why would they love this? More claims means they have to pay out more. Even if they’re assholes and don’t pay out, they still have to process and fight claims which costs money.

      • ramble81@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        4 months ago

        They’ll raise rates on Teslas higher to offset that and make more money in the process.

  • Aurenkin@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    34·
    4 months ago

    If you have a Tesla and you’re worried about this it’s probably worth enabling pin to drive. Not sure about all the other brands that are impacted but hopefully they have a similar feature.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      4 months ago

      Couldn’t a Model 3/Y owner also just disable the phonekey and use the NFC cards? NFC only broadcasts a few inches right? I would think that would be VERY hard for a malicious actor to capture with relay/replay attack.

      Following that, is it possible to use the Phonekey only in NFC mode or is it always broadcasting on Bluetooth LE and NFC?

      • digdug@kbin.social
        11·
        4 months ago

        I just tried this a couple different ways:

        1. Removing permission for “nearby devices” - this unfortunately appears to block both Bluetooth and NFC permission
        2. Turning off the phone’s Bluetooth - NFC still works while the Bluetooth radio is off, but you’d basically never be able to safely use Bluetooth anytime you aren’t watching your car. Setting a PIN is still unfortunately the only way to go, and hope that a dedicated attacker doesn’t also find a way to capture your PIN (e.g. camera zoomed in on your screen).
        • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          4 months ago

          So we’d need Tesla to push a software change in the app with an option to turn off the Bluetooth LE signal, but leave the NFC on to continue to use Phonekey safely.

          I guess the only safe alternative is using the NFC cards.

  • Copythis@lemmy.worldEnglish
    181·
    4 months ago

    One of my coworkers carries a flipper zero around and opens up every single Tesla gas door we see. He hasn’t tried it on the cybertruck yet, the ones I see are usually on the move.

  • nxdefiant@startrek.websiteEnglish
    15·
    4 months ago

    Enabling the PIN mitigates this issue entirely. Can’t drive it away if you don’t know the PIN, even if you have the physical key, fob, or phone.

    • polygon6121@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      Where I am from It is very common that people break in and only steal the loose valuables inside the car. Not the car itself. If you don’t even have to crack a window i would imagine it is very enticing to do so and specialize in Teslas… with that said, I can’t magine Teslas are more prone to this and other brands. What makes Teslas a bigger target is that their fleet is large and use very similar components and tech. If you hack one, you can hack into alot of them.

      • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        4 months ago

        Right, a rock can get in any car and your pin doesn’t help, so one of your best safeguards is to not leave anything visible in the car

      • ramble81@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        4 months ago

        Which is one of the perks of being a convertible owner. You keep the car clean of loose items, or the wind does it for you.

    • circuscritic@lemmy.caEnglish
      12·
      4 months ago

      An appropriate SDR, or a prefab kit you can buy online.

      Relay attacks on keyless systems are nothing new, plenty of documentation and articles you can use to read up on the specifics.

    • redcalcium@lemmy.instituteEnglish
      52·
      4 months ago

      People usually use flipper zero (banned in Canada) to play with these kind of stuff. Not sure if this exploit can be implemented in flipper zero though.