"Police Breaks up Criminal Ring That Hacked Keyless Systems to Steal Cars"

The French National Gendarmerie recently dismantled a car theft ring that used fraudulent software to hack and steal vehicles with remote keyless entry and ignition systems. The criminals targeted vehicles with keyless entry and start systems, taking advantage of the technology to gain entry and drive away. They targeted keyless vehicles manufactured by two French automakers. A fraudulent tool, marketed as an automotive diagnostic solution, was used to replace the vehicles' original software, allowing the doors to be opened and the ignition to be started without the use of the actual key fob. According to Europol, 31 people have been arrested, including software developers, resellers of the software, and actual car thieves who used the software to steal vehicles. An Agence France-Presse (AFP) report revealed that the thieves purchased tablets, software, and connectors from resellers, allowing them to duplicate vehicle keys and program blank keys without having the original, as well as modify the embedded systems of many vehicles. This digital attack kit was sold online by the organization. The Gendarmerie did not provide the website's URL, but stated that the site, which has now been shut down, registered 53,000 connections, which were possibly attempts to reprogram keys. This article continues to discuss the car hacking operation. 

Help Net Security reports "Police Breaks up Criminal Ring That Hacked Keyless Systems to Steal Cars"