Keep your key fobs isolated, folks.... to prevent stolen Bronco

[TXBronco1313]

As a professional over thinker, now I’m going to think the whole universe is out to steal my Bronco

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[TXBronco1313]

Just let the thieves have it, they say. I have insurance, they say.
You still have to pay the deductable, the insurance company payout isn't going to cover the ADM some of you knucks paid, and why in the hell are we cowed into believing that the best we can do is rent our valuables from the criminal community and they can call the lease any time they want?
If you want crime to stop, it's time the criminals shared in the risk, and not assume it all yourself.
And then Ontario-the rozzers are advising people to deliberatly leave their fobs where thieves can easily access them with the relay device and not risk annoying them. Should you leave them a gas card as well? Who knows who they would rob for gas money.

AMEN! And all you knucks who paid ADM better have GAP insurance

 

[Forditude]

It's not constantly emitting a signal. It is simply responding to a request from the vehicle.

So, for example, if you have Intelligent Access (the feature that allows you to unlock the door when you touch the door handle), the vehicle will send out an authentication request to a nearby keyfob. If the keyfob responds appropriately, an authentication handshake will occur and the door will unlock.

The device they are using is basically relaying the request from the Bronco and amplifying it so the keyfob in the house picks up the signal. The keyfob then responds appropriately, and their device with its giant high-gain antenna picks it up, and it relays the response back to the Bronco so the Bronco thinks the keyfob is right next to the vehicle where it normally would be.

Same thing to start the Bronco, they're just relaying the keyfob signals so the Bronco thinks the key is literally in the vehicle. They start it up, reset FordPass/Sync, drive it away, program new keys, and ship the vehicle overseas to be sold. Boom...

Sooo…if your Bronco is not equipped with intelligent key, this method of vehicle theft would not work correct?

 

[Dialtone]

As a professional over thinker, now I’m going to think the whole universe is out to steal my Bronco

It is. I've heard the voices.

 

[Gnomad]

My response is MOVE. But please don’t move to where I’m at, we are at full capacity. This is definitely not something I currently have to worry about in my daily life. But I’m smart enough to know that it’s just around the corner. And when it hits, I’m already planning for the next move.

There are still some places where you can live like people respect you and your stuff, we live in one. Amazing how fast it can turn.
I used to live in the small town of Wasilla, AK. The UPS guy once left long narrow packages that lookled exactly like guns in boxes on my porch and they were there when I got home. But not long after we moved, heroin and meth moved in and the place went to literal hell in 60 seconds. People would find thieves looting their shopping in the time it took to walk from the car to the house. And to think I moved to MI, thinking it might be the hood by comparison and it's nothing at all like it.

 

[Dialtone]

Sooo…if your Bronco is not equipped with intelligent key, this method of vehicle theft would not work correct?

I don't think that's a safe assumption. This methodology for theft worked before Intelligent access. I've no doubt someone has learned how to query keys for a response. It's a know bandwidth and insiders always leak or use the methodology to wake the key. Once it responds, game on.

 

[Xjeepowner]

The simple solution is get an inexpensive Faraday box from Amazon.
problem solved.

 

[Krimzun]

Two things' vehicles always garaged and the garage door opener has a lock feature so it can't open from outside. Second faraday box just in case someone tries, as they say an ounce of prevention. It sucks this is the world we live in but I also don't want to have to go through all the trouble to replace it.

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

Meh. I live in Canada, where we have the opposite of the Castle Doctrine. (If someone is inside your house and currently murdering you, shooting them still gets you jail time). But I say if someone is willing to take such a piece of shit out of the gene pool, good on them. Nothing of value will be lost.

If somebody stole my Bronco, I just might want to take advantage of Canada's easy, no-questions-asked assisted suicide policy.

 

[RagnarKon]

Sooo…if your Bronco is not equipped with intelligent key, this method of vehicle theft would not work correct?

For this hyper specific example, yes.

This type of attack is called a relay attack. Relay attacks come in many forms. The attack vector in this case appears to have been Ford’s Intelligent Access system, but that’s obviously not the only possible attack vector.

 

[KyleQ]

This is nothing new, people have been after these vehicles and others since their release. Get yourself a $15 faraday box and keep your fobs in it. Also - storing these things within sight of the door makes yourself an easy target as well.

 

[wizardoforange]

Two things' vehicles always garaged and the garage door opener has a lock feature so it can't open from outside. Second faraday box just in case someone tries, as they say an ounce of prevention. It sucks this is the world we live in but I also don't want to have to go through all the trouble to replace it.

I'm with you. After seeing this I'll be investing in a Faraday box for the keys at home and a smaller pocket-sized one for a single key when I'm traveling.

 

[HighVelocity]

True, But the methods used by the thieves are equally effective on similar access systems from other auto manufacturers, as well.

It would be great if Ford gave us the ability to just turn the Intelligent Access feature on or off, via the touchscreen menus. That would mean that the vehicle-to-keyfob initial request would not be broadcast, and this vulnerability when parked, would no longer exist.

It could even be (gasp!) configurable with a time window, i.e., owner can set it to be disabled only during the overnight hours when they must park out on the street, etc...

Get on it, Ford!

My Triumph has a power button on the keyfob. This is the simplest, most practical solution.

Just give me the option to turn the fob off. Done and done.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I'm just glad I live where I can accidentally leave my car unlocked overnight with my stuff in it and it's all ok tomorrow and I don't have to murder anyone over it. some may be right, some may be wrong, but hardly any on here have actually taken a life and had to live with it.

And that's something I wouldn't brag about.

 

[edgarmcgauley]

Remember when you see the green dot that it's not that I value my stuff over a human life , it is the fact that you value my stuff over your life.

Amen

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