Tesla Plans to Open Car Doors to All Hackers This Summer

Re:Tesla Plans to Open Car Doors to All Hackers This Summer by cheald on Tuesday April 28, 2015 @04:24PM (#9454917)

Can someone explain how this works? Naively, I'd expect that this is just a signal amplifier, which boosts the signal from the key fob to a level where the car will accept it as close enough (via inverse square law computations and a known transmit power). But the key fob would have to transmit far enough to reach the amplification point, no? If I have my keys in my pocket in my house, how is the key fob going to be putting out enough juice to reach more than a couple of feet, let alone through walls?

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Re:Tesla Plans to Open Car Doors to All Hackers This Summer by etcet on Tuesday April 28, 2015 @05:22PM (#9455242)

Start reading http://media.hacking-lab.com/scs3/scs3_pdf/SCS3_2011_Capkun.... at page 16. They were able to perform an attack with a relay 8m from the key. I particularly like this implication they present:

Relay on a parking lot

 One antenna near the elevator

 Attacker at the car while car owner waits for the elevator

Also, the radio jamming attack described on page 10 is so simple but isn't something I've considered before. Basically you just jam the right frequency before the victim presses the 'lock' button and you now have access to their car (if they didn't notice).

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Re:Tesla Plans to Open Car Doors to All Hackers This Summer by cheald on Tuesday April 28, 2015 @06:25PM (#9455469)

Wow, I am legitimately shocked that the fob is capable of transmitting that far. I'd have thought that the "is the key in close proximity to the car" transmitters would be intentionally range-limited.

Great link, thank you.

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