Advertisement

News

Watch thieves steal a Tesla by hacking it

Watch thieves steal a Tesla by hacking it
Justin Cabrera

Justin Cabrera

  • Updated:

The future is now, people. You can now steal cars by hacking into them. A (former) Tesla owner in the UK posted security footage online that shows thieves hacking into his car and driving away with it. The footage can be viewed below.

Watch thieves hack into a Tesla and steal it

This looks like something out of Watch_Dogs. So, how exactly did these tech-savvy thieves hack into the car?

The thieves exploited something called a key fob. A key fob is a chip used in wireless car keys that send a randomly generated 40-bit code to the car, along with a command (unlock the doors, open the trunk, etc.). The car will recognize the code and then complete the command. The thief with the tablet is walking around in an attempt to catch the signal of the car owner’s key fob, while the other thief is presumably using his phone to boost the tablet’s signal. Once the key fob signal was picked up by the thief with the tablet, he could use it to give the car any command that could be used on a normal wireless car key.

For all of their technical prowess, the thieves seemed to have a lot of trouble unplugging the car from the charging cable. All you need to do is press a button on the cable.

There are a few things Tesla owners can do to protect themselves from technically proficient but cord-challenged thieves in the future.

First, disable “passive entry” mode while at home. Passive entry mode allows owners to unlock their car simply by walking towards it when their key is on the vicinity. Passive entry was enabled for the stolen car, allowing the thieves to access the fob key in the first place.

Second, enable “PIN to drive.” This feature allows users to set a code that must be entered before the car can actually be driven.

Third, place your wireless key in a faraday bag while at home. A faraday bag is a special pouch that prevents your key from transmitting signals while inside, preventing hackers from picking up on your key fob.

Be careful, Tesla owners. All of the fancy technology included in these cars can be used against them. We’ll end this article on a lighter note by telling a joke:

What do you call a stolen Tesla?

An Edison!

Justin Cabrera

Justin Cabrera

Justin Cabrera is a tech content writer with Softonic.com. Prior to joining Softonic, Justin was a overcaffeinated radio DJ and know-it-all music critic with WPGU 107.1. His two favorite things in the world are video games and music culture.

Latest from Justin Cabrera

Editorial Guidelines