Law enforcement officials around the world are constantly facing new challenges when it comes to unscrupulous individuals taking other people’s stuff. The latest challenge for police is the Key Relay Deice that can be used to steal your car by transmitting its fob signal to open and start the car with almost no effort.

Security experts have been aware of the Key Relay Devices since 2011 but in recent years their use has become more wide spread. As you will see from the video below thieves using a key relay device are able to simply stand within the transmission range of your key fob and using a relay transmitter send the signal to another relay device held near your car and hey presto your car is opened. This isn’t a security flaw but a natural by-product of cars using a proximity sensor to unlock the car, if you must press an open the doors button on your fob your car isn’t susceptible to this attack.

Police have already begun seizing such devices but they are cheap and easily available, a team of Chinese security researches recently built a pair of these devices using parts available on the internet for $22 USD.

Wired has published a list of 24 cars that are susceptible to the attack. If you are unlucky enough to be the owner of one of these cars there are a number of simple solutions, all of which involve blocking the signal using a Faraday cage. Our favourite and the simplest is to put your cars fob in the freezer when not in use.

Presented for your viewing pleasure is a demonstration of car boosting made easy, an example of our accelerating world, it is now gone in 30 seconds. Here at Highpants we find it hilarious that it used to be a sign of absent mindedness to find your car keys in the freezer, now it’s a sign you’ve brought the wrong car, lol. Sit back relax and be sure to keep that fob in a safe place.

Reference: Wired – JUST A PAIR OF THESE $11 RADIO GADGETS CAN STEAL A CAR
Reference: Wired – RADIO ATTACK LETS HACKERS STEAL 24 DIFFERENT CAR MODELS