Typical BBC reporting of anything technical.
Keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers scramble the signal from remote key fobs inside people’s homes, enabling criminals to unlock cars.
No, they don’t. The situation described is a relay attack on keyless entry/start. Jamming is used in a two stage attack, where the device intercepts the first signal and stores it without allowing the car to ‘see’ it by jamming. The user then tries a second time.
This time the signal is intercepted the same way, and the first signal is played back to the car from the device. The second signal is stored and can be replayed later to bypass a rolling code setup.
It’s very niche and the stored signal quickly becomes obsolete anyway.
Sophisticated electronic devices used by criminals to steal cars are set to be banned
Making or selling a signal jammer could lead to up to five years
Jenny Simms said the possession, manufacture, sale and supply of signal jammers had provided an “easily accessible tool for criminals… for far too long”.
These devices have no legitimate purpose
Basically, fuck you if you happen to have or build a Software Defined Radio (SDR). Again with the UK ‘clamping down’ on something that does have plenty of legitimate use.
I use an F0 for toying with my own equipment, as an interface for my smart devices and as a general purpose keyfob. I may be arrested just for possessing it.
The crims will not care a jot and this only serves to restrict/annoy legitimate users.
The fault and solution lies with the manufacturers who implement insecure tech, and with the users who blindly sacrifice pounds of security for ounces of convenience.
jordanlund@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I’m sure the people stealing cars will be right on that…
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Next they’ll ban stealing cars
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
As long as I can download one, I’m happy.
Nollij@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
I won’t speak to how the UK does things, but in the US this would make for an easier criminal charge.
It can be difficult to prove that someone stole (or is about to steal) a car, or broke in to steal the contents. This is especially true if they weren’t apprehended in or with the vehicle itself. But if they are arrested on suspicion, and one of these devices is found on them, they can very easily be prosecuted for possession of criminal tools. It’s similar to how we normies can’t legally own a lockpicking kit unless we’re locksmiths.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
That doesn’t make it okay.
And you can’t own lock picking tools? Like, buying from this website is illegal? That’s ridiculous!!
I can, and it’s incredibly useful to DIY access locked doors in my house. I’m not calling a locksmith unless I can’t figure it out, because that’s expensive.
Pika@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
I was on board with your post until the last line.
However in the majority of the US it’s perfectly legal to own lock picking tools as long as you’re not using it for malicious intent, there’s only four states in the US that has restrictions on them similar to what you describe, those states are Mississippi where if it’s concealed / you don’t tell them that you have the pick and they find it on their own, you have to provide counter evidence in court of why it wasn’t you; and Nevada, Ohio and Virginia which states you must provide evidence directly countering the claim.
All states have it legal to own and use the tools, it just those four states have increased regulations on the tools that make it harder to defend in court if you’re caught out in public near a crime with them