While we may think that modern cars are becoming harder and harder to get into and steal, thanks to all the clever technology being used to protect them, we may be fooling ourselves, as the very same technology that makes them ‘modern’ in the way that we have come to understand, can also make them an easy target for people with less-than-honorable intentions.
As you can see in the first video, the thieves have no problem in stealing the (rather rare) BMW 1M Coupe. How do they achieve this seemingly impossible feat? Well, the extensive use of technology and software has made these cars vulnerable to a different kind of attack, one which doesn’t require a crowbar, or anything like that, but an OBD cable. The thieves find clever work-arounds for all the car’s security systems, and take full advantage of the fact that it doesn’t automatically lock when it detects a broken window. They then connect the OBD cable to the car (the OBD port is always powered), then clone the car’s key using the device in the second video.
After seeing the procedure, it is very clear that virtually anybody with enough money to buy the key-writing device can then go on and steal any new BMW with keyless locking. So, what can we learn from this? Well, we should never fully trust software, as there will always be someone who will be able to break and control it. Also, we should get a steering wheel locking device, as the old-fashioned way always warrants a look before being tossed, because new and more complicated isn’t necessarily better.
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