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0 pointsgchadwick7mo ago0 comments

Immobilizers (which lock out the engine until there's been some authorization from another device, i.e. from a chip in the key) have been mandatory in cars in the UK at least (and I would presume Europe on similar time scales) for almost 30 years (from 1998). Seems they've been sold in cars for a few years longer than that (from 1992). According to: https://www.carwow.co.uk/guides/glossary/what-is-a-car-immob....

Maybe never introduced into the US market? Would find that hard to believe.

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kube-system7mo ago

Immobilizers were introduced into the US long before that, but never mandated.

jiveturkey7mo ago

immobilizers that use a chip in a physical key, are to the best of my knowledge, all simple clonable protocols. the predecessor to a code was a simple resistor.

i specifically meant a kind that uses private key crypto. we absolutely could have that today but we've moved on to fobs.

please correct me if I'm wrong ... i haven't studied it that extensively.

kube-system7mo ago

Early immobilizers were just resistors, yes. (e.g. GM VATS) However, later "chipped keys" do use strong crypto over short-range wireless.

The "fobs" in modern push-to-start cars actually have two separate radios in them. The one that this article is about is the long-range keyless entry radio, which primarily opens the doors. These all have separate short-range wireless radios that work inside of the car to authenticate the key before you can press the push-to-start button. That is unaffected by this hack.

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0 pointsgchadwick7mo ago0 comments

Maybe never introduced into the US market? Would find that hard to believe.

0 comments

kube-system7mo ago

Immobilizers were introduced into the US long before that, but never mandated.

jiveturkey7mo ago

immobilizers that use a chip in a physical key, are to the best of my knowledge, all simple clonable protocols. the predecessor to a code was a simple resistor.

i specifically meant a kind that uses private key crypto. we absolutely could have that today but we've moved on to fobs.

please correct me if I'm wrong ... i haven't studied it that extensively.

kube-system7mo ago

Early immobilizers were just resistors, yes. (e.g. GM VATS) However, later "chipped keys" do use strong crypto over short-range wireless.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse