How Does Keyless Car Theft Work? (Relay Theft)

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Car thefts are becoming increasingly common particularly among newer keyless entry cars, in this video we’re going to have a look at why its so easy to for thieves to steal some keyless car models. We’ll also look at what the most common form of attack is and how you can protect yourself from it.
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The most common way of stealing a keyless car is known as a relay attack, first let’s remind ourselves how keyless cars work. They function by drivers carrying a keyfob that sends a unique digital code via Radio Frequency signals to the car's receiver. The received digital code is compared against a list of authorized key fob codes stored in the car's memory or security system. Each car has a unique code which is why you can’t unlock any car apart from the one your key fob is linked to. If the transmitted code matches an authorized key fob's code, the car's system grants access and executes the corresponding action, such as unlocking the doors or enabling engine ignition. In some cases the key fob needs to be pressed and in others just being close enough to the car or driver’s door will allow entry and engine ignition.
When a relay attack occurs, thieves will work in pairs. One will stand near the house or area where they believe the key is likely to be. They need to get as close to the key as possible which is why you’ll often see them standing right outside of houses in cctv footage. A lot of key fobs intermittently emit a low-power signal to establish their presence within proximity of the car, this is how the driver can unlock the car without pressing anything just by being near it. This low power signal contains the unique code needed to unlock the car. The thief near the key will have a relay device consisting of a transceiver and an antenna. The transceiver will capture the weak signal from the key fob and the antenna will amplify the signal. The 2nd thief stood near the car has the same device. The key fobs signal or code is amplified from the first thief’s device and captured by the 2nd thieves device which then amplifies the key fobs signal towards the car. This tricks the car into thinking the 2nd thieves relay device is the actual key fob and unlocks the doors and allows the engine to be started at the touch of a button inside the car. The thieves can then simply drive off with the car even though they haven’t taken the actual key fob, this is why its sometimes known as keyless theft.
So how do you protect yourself from this type of attack if you have a keyless car? The best way to do this is to store your key fob in a Faraday pouch or signal-blocking case to shield the key fob's signal when not in use. This makes it impossible for a thief to capture the signal and amplify it to their accomplice, making this type of theft impossible. I have left a link below to a signal-blocking case if you’d like to buy this protection for yourself. I will earn a small commission from this at no extra cost to you.
Have you or anyone you know ever been a victim of this type of theft? Let me know in the comments and please do subscribe if you’ve enjoyed this video and thanks for watching!
#keylesscartheft #relaytheft #cartheft

[@techindex1]

Have you or anyone you know been a victim of keyless theft?

[@SteveMacSticky]

I think this technology is an over engineered solution to a simple issue. Keyless entry needs to be done away with

[@techindex1]

Yes it does seem to be a big security risk to solve a basically non existent issue. It has actually caused a price drop in some Range Rover models as they’re so often targets of keyless theft!

[@zinussan50]

If flipper zero allow us to use all its features, there will be chaos in every city.

[@techindex1]

Hadn’t thought of that, great point!

[@teknixstuff]

It's called a REPLAY attack, not RELAY.

[@techindex1]

A replay attack is a form of network attack where genuine data transmission is maliciously repeated or delayed. This is not the same thing as a relay attack, thanks for watching 😊