Theft Without Key

That's nowt new, is it?
And it's the Daily Mail. Nuff said.

Well, I was just wondering if it was new...

As they hand singled out Hyundai/ Kia.

Does the Gameboy device work like the usual laptop grabbing information from unshielded keys?

Or is it different?

I believe Hyundai / Kia had a flaw where they could make keys via the vin

securespark said:

The subject of this theft happens not to be an MG, but in theory it could happen to any car.

Click to expand...

If you do a web search for "hyundai car theft issue" there are a number of different stories since 2021, including a settlement of a lawsuit with Hyundai/Kia in the US.

A security flaw could exist in any car, but the one reported and that has been used is for Hyundai/Kia vehicles. The MG security does not have this flaw, and (as far as I know) MG has no other security flaws being actively exploited.

Any keyless car is susceptible to relay theft.
Range Rover have had to change their keys so they don't stay active if not used.
(In some places you couldn't get insurance on Range Rovers).
Also see Fiesta STs, BMWs etc.

The Kia/ Hyuandai issue in the US didn't affect European cars.

The cost of a decent Faraday pouch isn't much. A Disklock or other steering wheel lock also helps. Thieves look for the easiest target. Having a lock makes your car less desirable from others.

Once in a good Faraday cage, there can be no communication of any sort with the fob.

The original question was whether the article should raise additional concerns about theft of the MG. In my opinion, the article describes thieves exploiting a software flaw that Hyundai has been working very hard to correct and does not directly connect to other car manufacturers. A security breach at one email provider doesn't automatically apply to all the others..

Yes, in theory, relay theft can occur with keyless entry systems, but in practice, it's not that straightforward if the communication between the fob and the car is encrypted. If the fob and the car are using a secure encryption protocol, it would be extremely difficult for a thief to decrypt and replicate the signal. Modern keyless entry systems typically use rolling codes, which generate a unique code each time the fob is used, making it nearly impossible to predict and replay the signal.

The suggestion for additional security measures are all good ones, but for myself, I probably won't be doing them. I like the convenience of the keyless entry. The article makes me neither more or less worried and until I hear about MGs going missing, I will continue to trust the software is secure, which means I can worry more about all the other things I worry about.