"The Car Thieves Using Tech Disguised Inside Old Nokia Phones and Bluetooth Speakers"
Researchers have further explored the world of car hacking. A new type of vehicle theft is spreading across the US. To gain access to a vehicle's control system, criminals can use small devices, which are sometimes hidden within seemingly harmless Bluetooth speakers or mobile phones. This allows thieves with little technical knowledge to steal cars without the key, sometimes in as little as 15 seconds. With the devices available for purchase online for a few thousand dollars, the entry barrier for stealing even the most expensive luxury vehicles has been drastically lowered. Ken Tindell, CTO of the vehicle cybersecurity company Canis Labs, and Ian Tabor, Tindell's colleague in automotive cybersecurity, published their research on these devices. Tabor purchased a reverse engineering device after suspecting that car thieves used one to steal his Toyota RAV4 last year. Tabor discovered devices that target Jeeps, Maseratis, and other vehicle brands. They detailed a Controller Area Network (CAN) injection attack that works by sending fake messages appearing to be from the vehicle's smart key receiver. The underlying issue is that these messages are trusted without verification. Once the thieves have accessed the necessary cables by removing the headlights, they can send these messages using their devices. This article continues to discuss new research on car hacking.