2019 GT broken into, weird Fordpass issue

[Dabitz]

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[shogun32]

I find it odd that people would be that sophisticated and have the equipment to do all that and then just go after loose items in the car. I would figure they would have stolen the car.

they saw the 6MT and backed away slowly...

 

[Billy1]

In step#2(above) the "device" is called a booster.

 

[ice445]

One thing I've noticed is that our keyfobs have a very short range compared to the VW I had. From my basement, none of the buttons can reach the car, even though my garage is only 50 feet tops from the basement. Even if the car is in the driveway it won't respond. So I'm pretty safe from any repeater attacks. For the rest of you guys, literally just buy a cookie tin or some metal box to put your key in, it will have the same effect and prevent the key and car from communicating.

 

[Elp_jc]

The whole purpose of having a fob is that you don't have to get it out of your pocket. Now, you'd have to get whatever 'faraday cage' you're using, get the darn fob out of there, and finally be able to unlock the car. Better to just disable the smart entry, no?

 

[Ecoboosted]

The whole purpose of having a fob is that you don't have to get it out of your pocket. Now, you'd have to get whatever 'faraday cage' you're using, get the darn fob out of there, and finally be able to unlock the car. Better to just disable the smart entry, no?

If it’s possible to disable the smart entry how would you get into the car? You would still need the remote and touch the door handle to get in correct?

 

[shogun32]

If it’s possible to disable the smart entry how would you get into the car? You would still need the remote and touch the door handle to get in correct?

the door handle thing is part of the 'smart'. Just use the clicker to unlock/relock like you've been doing for the past 10+ years.

 

[Ecoboosted]

the door handle thing is part of the 'smart'. Just use the clicker to unlock/relock like you've been doing for the past 10+ years.

Doesn’t that send out a signal where a thief can capture the signal?

 

[Norm Peterson]

Doesn’t that send out a signal where a thief can capture the signal?

I suspect that if the car sends out the initial signal, it will only do something if it receives the reply from the fob that it was expecting from its request. I could be wrong, but given that the car has a far larger battery to draw from that it would normally be the end that's transmitting essentially continuously. The tiny battery in a fob wouldn't last long at all - even if it was turned on via motion sensing - given that people tend to keep their fobs in a pocket or pocketbook most of the time that they aren't home. Not everybody puts their keys anywhere different at home, either, so you'd have the tiny transmitter eating away at the capacity of a wafer-battery off and on all day long.

Personally, I find smart entry can be a PITA. Like when you're washing or waxing the car and getting close enough to the door handles to trip the lock/unlock. That's been such a nusiance on our WRX that when I'm doing those tasks I need to take the fob out of my pocket and leave it at a distance. Something that I'd never do for any other reason, and shouldn't have to do for this one.


Norm

 

[shogun32]

The car is always in listen mode. The fob is only pulsing it's 'smart' signal periodically. I'm not sure the frequency, probably once every 5 seconds or so but it's low power. When you press the fob button, it sends a very strong signal (a good 35m range) and the car takes action be it pop the trunk, unlock the doors etc.

Yes, a thief can intercept the rolling sequence code your fob makes when you press a button. They generally need at least 2 such sequential transmits to calculate the next. What the thief will do is be near the car and jam the fob signal at the car with a highly directional RF beam but have a receiver that can also pick up the fob transmission.

The ONLY secure method is an actual key which society has shunned in the interest of convenience being far preferential to any real security.

 

[ice445]

The whole purpose of having a fob is that you don't have to get it out of your pocket. Now, you'd have to get whatever 'faraday cage' you're using, get the darn fob out of there, and finally be able to unlock the car. Better to just disable the smart entry, no?

The Faraday cage is just for storing your key at home. I enjoy the convenience of smart entry too much to disable it, personally. The best thing you can do is just be aware, if your keyfob mysteriously stops working, take a look around. Its likely someone you haven't seen before is near by. The car will tell you when the battery is getting low far before it dies completely.

 

[Elp_jc]

I find smart entry can be a PITA. Like when you're washing

Just disable it when you wash the car; problem solved .

 

[Vlad Soare]

The ONLY secure method is an actual key which society has shunned in the interest of convenience being far preferential to any real security.

You'd think so, but experience has shown that actual keys were even less secure than today's electronic systems, and by a wide margin at that. Lockpicks, hair pins, screwdrivers, rulers, even tennis balls... the range of tools available for breaking into cars and starting them in the good old days was huge.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Just disable it when you wash the car; problem solved .

It's a fussy 8-step procedure to do that, that you have to go through again to re-enable. So if I was going to do it at all it'd probably be just once with no re-enable (and live with other consequences).


On edit, when I looked that procedure up I learned about the only function of this smart-entry stuff that might be useful to me (and as far as I know, unique to me).


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

The ONLY secure method is an actual key which society has shunned in the interest of convenience being far preferential to any real security.

I could agree with that, but only if the key contained the chip and also had to mechanically rotate the lock cylinder. IOW, simultaneous satisfaction of both electronic and mechanical security methods.

Given the creativity of any number of hackers, "electronic security" is an oxymoron.


Norm

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