http://dailym.ai/2bdD5QF

The reality of it is:

It can't be done with a $40 device

It would require considerable knowledge, hardware and software to intercept, read, decrypt and transmit the signal

It only allows access to the vehicle, no starting

Auto locksmiths can access your car, create a key and start it without any issues

I'm not saying it's impossible but it's nowhere near as easy as the dailyFail are making it out to be

And if the issue were THAT prominent why do most car thefts still involve the original keys being used?

Just thought it was a interesting read, I wasn't saying it was all true. There must be some truth behind it, how easy or not it is to do I don't know as iam not a theiving scum bag.

I'm not having a dig at you buddy, just having a knock at the credibility of the information given in the story. It conflicts itself and the facts don't remain consistent.

Great newspaper too ????

Whatever security system anything (not just automotive) has in place, someone somewhere will always find and produce a way of bypassing it. If VW suddenly recall all vehicles and 'fix' the problem, someone will eventually come up with a way of bypassing that as well. I wouldn't worry, in any case if a thief wishes to get into your car, they will, expensive equipment or not.

I'm not having a dig at you buddy, just having a knock at the credibility of the information given in the story. It conflicts itself and the facts don't remain consistent.

Great newspaper too ????

Ok mate no problem.

If a thief wishes to get into your car, they will, expensive equipment or not.

That's 100% true, all you can hope to do is make the thief think that it's easier to get into/steal the car next to yours rather than yours.

 

All professional car thieves know how to defeat systems such as Tracker, so even they are a waste of money - maybe that's why Tracker publish how many cars are recovered but not how many are not recovered ... so you can't work out if their recovery rate is any better.

That's 100% true, all you can hope to do is make the thief think that it's easier to get into/steal the car next to yours rather than yours.

All professional car thieves know how to defeat systems such as Tracker, so even they are a waste of money - maybe that's why Tracker publish how many cars are recovered but not how many are not recovered ... so you can't work out if their recovery rate is any better.

There's a thread in general car chat about this as well.

For me the issue isn't so much people being able to get into the car - they could always just smash a window. The issue is the perception of insecurity and coverup from VW.

We've had the diesel emissions misinformation, safety misinformation (see c4 dispatches) and now this.

There's going to be no residuals left in VAG cars soon.

If a pro thief wants your car it's as good as gone. If all else fails, they will simply lift and trailer it away. Oh and that $40 device was featured on Toms Hardware about 8 months ago. The Daily Fail made it sound a lot easier than it actually is. Think about it, it was discovered by hacker security experts, who's main job is to find vulnerabilities and report them.

 

If you don't want your car stolen, buy a Skoda     

So experts using specialist equipment "might" be able to access your car and expert computer hackers who crack coding for a living have found a commonality in the coding across all VW AG cars yet can't use it because they found it wasn't 100% compatible.

It's just another smear campaign to taint the VW groups reputation and to increase popularity of an already poor and discredited news paper.

You don't see them reporting on the likes of this:

https://www.facebook.com/143233165824638/videos/717120908435858/

2 x blokes, 1 screwdriver and a modern Ford Focus RS.

If a pro thief wants your car it's as good as gone. If all else fails, they will simply lift and trailer it away. Oh and that $40 device was featured on Toms Hardware about 8 months ago. The Daily Fail made it sound a lot easier than it actually is. Think about it, it was discovered by hacker security experts, who's main job is to find vulnerabilities and report them.

 

If you don't want your car stolen, buy a Skoda     

In Jungle Green ......:-)

In Jungle Green ......:-)

"My Jungle Green Roomster Scout has been stolen twice!?"

Said no SKODA owner, ever.

Typical daily mail crap, they will be blaming it on immigrants in a minute!

I cannot bring myself to read anything from the 'daily fail' but other coverage of the topic indicates some bright boffins have discovered a weakness in the security encryption and are in discussion with VW about it. They also claim that ten other manufacturers have similar issues who they will be approaching.

 

This is not a problem unless the intimate details become public knowledge, which apparently is not the intention. I imagine the publication of their results was to show the world how clever they were (most nerds harbour desires of fame or world domination) or improve their position in securing financial benefit from negotiations with the car companies.

A variation on 'blackmail'.

 

If it becomes an issue  then part of the problem is that the simple fob transmitter has a ridiculously  large range. I know mine can lock/unlock the car from about 100 metres, so anyone within hundreds of  metres of you can pick up the signal. Maybe the fob needs a 'Faraday jacket' to make the transmission directional and limited to a couple of metres or less. Won't solve the problem but why make it easy for them?

Dont see the problem.

Thiefs is smart enoug to just smash a window.

Why make it difficult?