The new attack applies to practically every car Volkswagen has sold since 1995.
Computer scientists from the University of Birmingham and the German engineering firm Kasper & Oswald plan to present their research [PDF] later this week at the Usenix security conference in Austin, Texas.
There are two distinct vulnerabilities present in almost every car sold by Volkswagen group after 1995, including models from Audi, Skoda, Fiat, Citroen, Ford and Peugeot.
T his is not the first time this team of researchers has targeted Volkswagen, it discovered a way to start Volkswagen cars' ignitions in 2013, but had to withhold their findings for two years because VW Group threatened to sue them.
Hack 1 — Using Arduino-based RF Transceiver (Cost $40)
The hack involves using radio hardware to intercept a signal from a wireless key fob. Those signals can be used to create a clone of the key that will allow the vehicle to be opened. It can be done with an Arduino board with a radio receiver, which would cost about $40.
Using the first hack, drivers do not even need to be near the car or the owner (with the key) which is a commonly used technique in key fob attacks. The code values are included in the signal sent every time a driver presses the key fob’s buttons, which is then used together to emulate a key that is unique to every vehicle. With the cryptographic key in hand, all that needs to be done is intercept the signal given out by the car’s key fob and then simply clone the required key, unlock the car and just drive it away. Researchers managed to hack into a car from a distance of 91m.
Hack 2 — Hijack with HiTag2 and A Radio Device in 60 Seconds
Garcia, Oswald and their co-authors also describe a second attack that could be used against Hitag2 (HT2) remote keyless entry systems used in older models of other auto makers, running on circuits produced by Dutch-American chipmaker NXP (NXPI.O).
This hack doesn’t require crypto keys to be extracted from the car, but since Hitag2 uses a set of multiple rolling codes, the eavesdropping equipment needs to listen to the key fob button-click signals enough times to extract eight of the rolling codes. Once the codes are recorded, the team discovered that most cars can be broken into in as little as a minute.
While the researchers’ two attacks both focus on merely unlocking cars rather than stealing them, Garcia points out that they might be combined with techniques like the one he and different teams revealed at the Usenix conferences in 2012 and last year. That research exposed vulnerabilities in the HiTag2 and Megamos “immobilizer” systems that prevent cars from being driven without a key, and would allow millions of Volkswagens and other vehicles ranging from Audis to Cadillacs to Porsches to be driven by thieves, provided they could get access to the inside of the vehicle
So don't leave any valuable item in your car in any parking lot .
OTHER CAR MAKERS VULNERABLE :
The reports' authors said they had focused on mass-market models and did not analyze in detail VW's luxury brands including Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.
In 2013, VW obtained a restraining order against a group of researchers that included Garcia to prevent publication of a paper detailing how certain anti-theft car immobilizer were vulnerable to hackers.
Car hacking is a hot topic now a days . Recently, security researcher Benjamin Kunz Mejri disclosed zero-day flaws resided in the official BMW web domain and ConnectedDrive portal that allowed attackers to tamper remotely with BMW's In-Car Infotainment System.
Previous research demonstrated hackers capabilities to hack a car remotely and control its steering and brakes and to disable car's critical functions like airbags by exploiting security bugs affecting significant automobiles.
Keeping these risks in mind, in April 2016 , the Michigan state Senate proposed two bills that introduce life sentences in prison for people who hack into cars’ electronic systems. Also, the FBI issued a public announcement warning people about the risks of car hacking.
Cheers!