Open the door using the lamp

Whether it’s Audi, Mercedes or Porsche – car thieves stop short of any brand. Now there is even a new technique that criminals use to steal cars.

Audi in Neckarsulm, Porsche and Mercedes in Stuttgart – Baden-Württemberg are known for car manufacturers. Meanwhile, the federal government is in the bottom ranks when it comes to car theft, which in turn should make car owners happy. But with all the security systems in modern cars, there seems to be a new scam being used by car thieves to quickly “break into” cars.

Car theft in Germany has decreased significantly

“9,805 cars were stolen in Germany in 2021,” wrote ADAC at the end of last year, saying that this was the lowest value since car theft statistics began. ADAC continues: “The most frequently stolen vehicles are SUVs.” In general, however, fewer and fewer cars are stolen in Germany, it is also said.

According to the statistics of the “General Association of the German Insurance Industry”, especially popular with car thieves: VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, who have introduced a new payment system. But the methods used by car thieves are becoming more sophisticated.

At the same time, it’s not always tricks or spikes that bother car owners. Thieves sometimes use creative methods. “CAN Injection”, where CAN stands for Controller Area Network, is one of these methods, as “autobild.de” writes, among others.

Car thieves with new technology: This is how CAN injection works

CAN injection is more difficult than most tricks, but only in preparation, because: Car theft probably works within a few minutes. When owners shop at Lidl, Aldi or Kaufland, for example, there is plenty of time. We are talking about two minutes, but how does the injection work?

In this procedure, car thieves order the car to open the doors. By doing so, they get internal communication in the car. Criminals gain access through headlights. This works best in cars with an electronic access solution and Key Operation authorization, as “heise.de” reports.

UK IT experts are on the lookout for new hacking technology

The explanation is that a simple input device such as a tricked-out Bluetooth speaker transmits false information to the control unit about certain endpoints, such as headlights. The car then gets the command to open the door – and it’s stolen. Are the owners of Audi, Mercedes, which presented successful figures in the first quarter, and Co. will they be allowed to appear in Germany before then?

The chief specialist of the British software and IT security company, Ken Tindell, and his friend and cyber security researcher, Ian Tabor, were aware of the procedure, the media reports. After research, the two security experts also found a used device for around 5000 euros, according to “autobild.de”. A new technology used by car thieves has been revealed, but it may not have been stopped yet.