Keyless Entry & Relay Attacks

[Chsahajarose]

Hey Everyone.....

Last night a Mercedes was stolen from my street with a relay attack/theft and according to neighbours CCTV they tried on a number of cars. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience on how well the Volvo is secured against such an attack?

Mine is a 2020 model

Lots of opinions about preventative faraday pouches, tins, microwaves, etc. etc. But I wondered about default Volvo security.

Cheers All!

Chris

[Whiterdesign]

I believe that new cars now include a modified key that will not emit any signal until it is moved. So if it’s just sat on a surface it won’t emit a signal. These can be bought for older cars but will obviously cost a bloody fortune.

[Whiterdesign]

Just found This https://accessories.volvocars.com/en-gb ... 18815/2020

[Dermottdog]

I’m not a security expert. I would however expect Volvo to be up there with every other car manufacturer in their attitude towards theft. Relay thefts are a reality and we (car owners) have to deal with. When I purchased our car, we asked about the relationship between keyless entry and security. The sales guy said he’d never heard of a keyless entry Volvo being stolen. Well, No1, he would say that wouldn’t he? And No2, a salesperson in Croydon is hardly the eyes and ears of the world!
Do you know if the Merc keys were kept in a signal blocking pouch at all? As I understand it, relay theft relies on using a scanner to hack onto the signal. The hacked signal is then sent to the car and entry is gained. In a faraday pouch, the signal is blocked. No signal=no entry. If anyone knows differently, please share and everyone on this forum will update their security arrangements.

[DarrenF]

There is a lot of scare mongering about relay thefts but truth is you just need to take a few basic steps to make it as safe as normal keys ( and in some examples safer!) BTW they do not hack the signal just relay the signal - that is why it is so easy and cheap to but these relay sets they use.

1) Don't have your keys in line of sight from any windows (you should do this for all keys anyway and never have them by the font door)
2) When not in use pace them in a Faraday pouch
3) When you go out don't leave your keys on show (restaurant tables etc)

I have seen a lot of scare mongering about this on Facebook usually followed by ' this pouch will protect you'. You do not have to spend money on Faraday pouches (I brought a cheap set of 2 from amazon) and can use anything metal (tin foil etc). Best thing to do is to test them by trying to open your car with your keys in the pouch - if it opens they are no good if it stays locked you are protected.

One last thing - you will see a lot of hype 'relay thefts on the rise' etc . When I last checked ONS they did not have a field for relay thefts so this is an assumption.

[Dermottdog]

There is a lot of scare mongering about relay thefts but truth is you just need to take a few basic steps to make it as safe as normal keys ( and in some examples safer!) BTW they do not hack the signal just relay the signal - that is why it is so easy and cheap to but these relay sets they use.

1) Don't have your keys in line of sight from any windows (you should do this for all keys anyway and never have them by the font door)
2) When not in use pace them in a Faraday pouch
3) When you go out don't leave your keys on show (restaurant tables etc)

I have seen a lot of scare mongering about this on Facebook usually followed by ' this pouch will protect you'. You do not have to spend money on Faraday pouches (I brought a cheap set of 2 from amazon) and can use anything metal (tin foil etc). Best thing to do is to test them by trying to open your car with your keys in the pouch - if it opens they are no good if it stays locked you are protected.

One last thing - you will see a lot of hype 'relay thefts on the rise' etc . When I last checked ONS they did not have a field for relay thefts so this is an assumption.

Yep, agree. Although some say the pouches fail after a length of time. I’ve done the test of taking the pouch to the car and trying the door handle. I also pop my phone in the pouch too and try calling it. It always goes to voicemail indicating that nothing is getting through.

[eugen61]

ADAC made in May 2020 an in-depth test on relay attacks on 360 car models and only 7 passed (could not be stolen), Volvo is not among them. However, XC40 manufactured from January 2020 onward is listed with motion sensor key, the only Volvo model with this upgrade. This secure feature shuts down the signal when the key is inert, thus eliminating the need to put the key in a Faraday pouch when not in use at home. The signal can still be relayed if captured when the key is in motion, for example in your bag while shopping, but that’s a low risk scenario...

Below the link to the test results, in German but very self explanatory:

https://assets.adac.de/image/upload/v15 ... n804eh.pdf

Full article in German:

https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/a ... e/keyless/

[DarrenF]

There is a lot of scare mongering about relay thefts but truth is you just need to take a few basic steps to make it as safe as normal keys ( and in some examples safer!) BTW they do not hack the signal just relay the signal - that is why it is so easy and cheap to but these relay sets they use.

1) Don't have your keys in line of sight from any windows (you should do this for all keys anyway and never have them by the font door)
2) When not in use pace them in a Faraday pouch
3) When you go out don't leave your keys on show (restaurant tables etc)

I have seen a lot of scare mongering about this on Facebook usually followed by ' this pouch will protect you'. You do not have to spend money on Faraday pouches (I brought a cheap set of 2 from amazon) and can use anything metal (tin foil etc). Best thing to do is to test them by trying to open your car with your keys in the pouch - if it opens they are no good if it stays locked you are protected.

One last thing - you will see a lot of hype 'relay thefts on the rise' etc . When I last checked ONS they did not have a field for relay thefts so this is an assumption.

Yep, agree. Although some say the pouches fail after a length of time. I’ve done the test of taking the pouch to the car and trying the door handle. I also pop my phone in the pouch too and try calling it. It always goes to voicemail indicating that nothing is getting through.

I have seen that as well - very strange. Mine is the cheap set of 2 bags (think we got the same ones if my memory is correct) and they are working perfectly after 7 months. A simple fix is to line it with tin foil - works for your wallet / purse as well for anyone trying to use the contactless scam on your cards. Just don't put the tin foil on your head

[eugen61]

There is a lot of scare mongering about relay thefts but truth is you just need to take a few basic steps to make it as safe as normal keys ( and in some examples safer!) BTW they do not hack the signal just relay the signal - that is why it is so easy and cheap to but these relay sets they use.

1) Don't have your keys in line of sight from any windows (you should do this for all keys anyway and never have them by the font door)
2) When not in use pace them in a Faraday pouch
3) When you go out don't leave your keys on show (restaurant tables etc)

I have seen a lot of scare mongering about this on Facebook usually followed by ' this pouch will protect you'. You do not have to spend money on Faraday pouches (I brought a cheap set of 2 from amazon) and can use anything metal (tin foil etc). Best thing to do is to test them by trying to open your car with your keys in the pouch - if it opens they are no good if it stays locked you are protected.

One last thing - you will see a lot of hype 'relay thefts on the rise' etc . When I last checked ONS they did not have a field for relay thefts so this is an assumption.

It seams it’s no longer a hype: https://leasing.com/car-leasing-news/re ... -avoid-it/

[Dermottdog]

Just checked both keys/pouches. All ok -