Hacker creates $40 universal key for cars and garages
Dirt cheap device hacks almost any car or garage doorA hacker and ‘security researcher’ has created a new cheap way to unlock almost any car or garage door.
Called the Rolljam, the small universal key that costs just $40 has already been branded dangerous and irresponsible by the car industry.
The new key works by harnessing the power of what security experts call the ‘rolling codes’ system, which works by creating a new code each time you lock and unlock a car to stop thieves ‘scanning’ for one pre-set code to unlock a car.
When hidden near a car, the new device ‘listens’ to a car being locked or unlocked. The Rolljam then records the signal.
The clever bit is when a person unlocks the car, the Rolljam jams the signal and records it, forcing the person to press the button again.
On the second stab of the keyfob the Rolljam once again jams the signal, but at the same time, unlocks the car using the first code it recorded. This means the small device holds a valid code to unlock the car the next time it’s parked.
Even worse for those with a remote start feature, the Rolljam is also capable of starting your vehicle too, making it easier than ever to steal your vehicle without a key.
Rolljam’s creator, Samy Kamkar, said he’s tested the new device on Ford, Toyota, Lotus, Volkswagen, Nissan, Cadillac and Chrysler and it’s unlocked every vehicle. The device is also claimed to open “virtually every garage door”.
Kamkar says he’s created his new Rolljam universal key as a “wake up call” for the car industry and for more car-makers to introduce the more secure ‘Passive Entry/Passive Start’ coding that automatically deletes after use.
Speaking to tech blog, Motherboard, Kamkar said: “Most manufacturers don’t really do anything until you demonstrate an issue. It’s only when it’s public knowledge that people begin to improve.”
The Rolljam is not expected to ever be offered for sale, but critics of the system worry that others within the hacking community will now make a copy of the device and offer it on the open market.
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