Stealing a Prius by Hacking the Smart Key System

This is a classic theory vs. practice... In theory this concept works, yet in practice, unless you're a government spy you really don't have anything to worry about... I mean if you're paranoid you can keep your key in a RF blocking pouch (same as turning off your sks system via button) which I heard matches quite fashionably with most popular aluminum foil hats.... In other words until one of the million Prius' on the road gets jacked I'm calling BS on that!

 

You just have to keep the FOB in a metal box to foil (no pun intended) this. Like any thief would be:
1. Smart enough to do this.
2. Patient enough to do this.
3. Work in a team of two.

They -might- want to work at this to steal a Lexus, but not a Prius.

 

Cheaper lower power RFID... Your FOB needs to create a stronger signal if its going to work reliably, whereas EZPass probably has a high power stationary receiver that can pick up a much lower power RFID signal.

 

So, what you're saying is I'm OK as long as I keep my smartkey in my aluminum foil hat. That works, as long as I don't have to keep the Prius there too.

 

In real life if your car is stolen your insurance covers you. And you get a new one. So it's a non issue.

 

Exactly... And aluminum foil underwear is usually a good workaround if you can't afford the cost of a really big hat to park your car under...

 

"What are you in for?" "Murder, what are you in for?" "I got caught stealing a Prius." "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA".

 

Why go through the Mission Impossible inspired electronics spoofing when two drunken rednecks can steal a G3 with a skid truck in about 30-seconds???

Really?
A Prius???

C'mon!
I don't think that any self respecting car thieves would bother with snatching a G3....and they sure as heck wouldn't go through the trouble of spoofing the SKS.
RFID transponders aren't 'cutting edge' technology. My dumb old pickemuptruck has one, as did the truck I had before that one.

Look at any list of commonly stolen cars.
We probably make the 'Top 100'.....but probably not by much.
Usually?
Car thieves roll flashier sheet metal.

 

Here's the latest list. 1994 Honda Accord was #1 for the 4th year in a row. Why? Because it's easy to steal.

	Column 1
0	[th]Rank[/th][th]VehicleMake/Model[/th][th]Vehicle Year[/th]
1	[tr][td]1[/td][td]Honda Accord[/td][td]1994[/td][/tr]
2	[tr][td]2[/td][td]Honda Civic[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]
3	[tr][td]3[/td][td]Ford Pickup (Full Size)[/td][td]2006[/td][/tr]
4	[tr][td]4[/td][td]Toyota Camry[/td][td]1991[/td][/tr]
5	[tr][td]5[/td][td]Dodge Caravan[/td][td]2000[/td][/tr]
6	[tr][td]6[/td][td]Acura Integra[/td][td]1994[/td][/tr]
7	[tr][td]7[/td][td]Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)[/td][td]1999[/td][/tr]
8	[tr][td]8[/td][td]Dodge Pickup (Full Size)[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]
9	[tr][td]9[/td][td]Ford Explorer[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]
10	[tr][td]10[/td][td]Nissan Sentra[/td][td]1994[/td][/tr]

 

My brother's Honda was stolen. It was found stripped in Newark. A guy that lives around the corner from me had his Honda stolen. He got another one and put a boot on it at night. The car was stolen, the boot was left lying on the ground. He has a VW Golf now.
p.s. He's a cop.
p.p.s. The thieves don't care.

 

Because there is a healthy market for the parts.

 

EZPass doesn't go too far. I tried mine in the center console of a Elantra in Ohio and had to pull over for the cashbox lady to walk my transponder back to the thing that reads it. That bag they sent us is just a anti static bag. I never understood how that would stop the system from interogating the transponder. Don't know...

I leave my EZPass on the dash now when I go thru a booth.

Mike

 

So I thought about this. Say one has a hacked SKS ECU, one that has been rooted and reprogrammed to tell the rest of the ECUs a key has been certified. One can break into the car, snap off the glove box, and replace the working ECU with the comprised one and drive off.
Would that work?
I imagine professional thieves might invest in something like this to steal Lexuses.

 

Shhh, don't tell 'em how to do it

Mike

 

No one can touch yours sleeping in the garage.

There were auto thefts around work last week so I am paying more attention to security. Last Wednesday, I saw an Infiniti G37S on bricks, in a subdivision next to my office complex, all the wheels gone. This was at noon.

The same day, an F250 HD diesel was stolen from my office complex. This is a site with six buildings, and a fleet of Escape Hybrid and Prii with flashing lights on patrol 24/7. Stealing the whole car during day light hours is brave. Last year, 3 - 4 trucks were stolen, and more were broken into, but things calmed down after security stepped up patrol, until last week.

I try to park close to the building at work and at the stores, and the car is parked inside of my attached garage at night. I still have no alarm or wheel locks, as I do not believe those are effective. I personally believe the most effective anti theft device, is a closed garage.

No Prius has been stolen around here yet (that I know of), and one could easily mistake mine as a security patrol car (with better Five wheels), I don't know if that is a plus or not. (Security vehicles more likely to get vandalized?)

 

Sounds like a complete disaster down there. Wonder if it is druggies steeling the vehicles? Around here we have juvenile vandal's that come thru the neighborhood every so often. We are buying cameras this week as the local dirtbag egged my SUV this morning. We know who it is but the cops said get video and we will prosecute. If we could only round up all the low life's and feed them to the sharks... Our local dirtbag punk will soon be playing cornhole in the juvi detention center

Mike

 

Aww come on now, just another misunderstood youth. We must learn to feel his pain.

 

He'll feel the pain alright, in his nice person hole

Mike