BMWs Being Stolen with Blank Keys?

[unokitty]

From the BBC

From Wikipedia:

"In 2012 BMW vehicles were stolen by programming a blank key fob to start the car through the on-board diagnostics (OBD) connection. The primary causes of this vulnerability lie in the lack of appropriate authentication and authorization in the OBD specifications, which rely largely on security through obscurity."

Note that the term "lack of appropriate authentication and authorization" means that anyone (including thieves) can program a new key fob. And the term, "security through obscurity" means that it will be secure, because we won't tell anyone that its there...

Low quality youtube video.


Is this commonly known and I have just missed it?

Or do BMW owners not feel that this is a significant vulnerability?

Or is it something else?

Uno

 

[rsutoratosu]

Not that old, about 30 days old i think, or 45. Yeah you can buy those things for like 7k.. make your money back instantly

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Plus they require access to the OBD port. On my BMW there's no way to do this without breaking class and/or causing the alarm to go off.

......If it makes you feel better, someone who really wants a car will take it with a flatbed. Keys/alarms are to deter opportunistic thefts, and petty thieves won't have an OBD reader and key coder.

 

[clumsyalex]

Plus they require access to the OBD port. On my BMW there's no way to do this without breaking class and/or causing the alarm to go off.

......If it makes you feel better, someone who really wants a car will take it with a flatbed. Keys/alarms are to deter opportunistic thefts, and petty thieves won't have an OBD reader and key coder.

sadly the alarms that actually make sounds and flash are not standard with bmws. I've seen most people opt out of the alarm option when buying them.

 

[Raduque]

Better video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LevE6iogIy8&feature=related

Edit: Also this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=0BPlK5imGJM

Edit2: Watching these videos, and thinking about the process needed to program keys for my truck makes me think that my F150 is more secure than a BMW. You can't even put the truck into programming mode without two already-programmed keys. I only have one key so a Ford dealer would have to program a second key for me.

Now of course anybody who has my VIN and access to a dealer could burn a new key, but I think that's pretty rare.

 

[alkemyst]

sadly the alarms that actually make sounds and flash are not standard with bmws. I've seen most people opt out of the alarm option when buying them.

Not really opting out, most dealers don't order them...only a few really 'order'.

BMW's are popular to steal because there isn't the demand for parts in the collision market like more popular cars and third-world country demand is on the higher niche cars that would go directly from flat bed to shipping container.

 

[mmntech]

Plus they require access to the OBD port. On my BMW there's no way to do this without breaking class and/or causing the alarm to go off.

......If it makes you feel better, someone who really wants a car will take it with a flatbed. Keys/alarms are to deter opportunistic thefts, and petty thieves won't have an OBD reader and key coder.

This, or they'll just steal the cats or airbags.