Currently reading: Volkswagen locking software hacked by researchers, millions of cars implicated

Millions of Volkswagen cars are susceptible to being unlocked via hacking, according to a report published by a team of experts

Volkswagen Group cars built between 1995 and 2016 are susceptible to being unlocked by hackers, a recent study has found.

The group of researchers, at the University of Birmingham and the University of Bochum, first discovered the hack in November 2015, and held talks with the manufacturing giant, “and an affected sub-contractor” early this year. Affected models include many of those made by Seat, Skoda and Audi, in addition to VW-branded cars.

The published paper put the number of vulnerable cars at around 100 million; nearly 10 times the number of affected vehicles in the ongoing emissions scandal. The report did not give away any details of how to hack the keys, however, which means that the findings cannot be used to aid criminals attempting to steal cars.

Volkswagen released a statement on the researchers’ findings, which said: “The bar for theft prevention is constantly being raised, but nonetheless there is ultimately no 100% security.”

“Volkswagen’s electronic and mechanical security measures are always state-of-the-art technology, and Volkswagen also offers innovative technologies in this field that are constantly further developed.”

VW was also keen to point out that current cars from the manufacturer’s MQB platform, including the Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volkswagen Touran and Volkswagen Passat have a higher level of security than the affected models, and aren’t included in the findings.

The researchers also issued some advice to Volkswagen customers, saying that it’s better, in light of the findings, to use the door locks of the cars to prevent a thief ‘eavesdropping’ on the lock signal and unlocking the car later.

“Note that in addition, for many cars, the alarm will trigger after a while if the car doors or the trunk are mechanically opened, unless the immobiliser is disarmed with the original key.”

Aside from the given statement, a Volkswagen spokesman couldn’t give any further information or comment on the findings. 

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winniethewoo 13 August 2016

Its simple. Don't leave

Its simple. Don't leave valuables in your car. And on the rare occasions that you do have valuables, lock your car manually so thieves can't capture radio transmissions. There is a second hack that affects many other manufacturers. Wired magazine goes into it in more detail. www.wired.com/2016/08/oh-good-new-hack-can-unlock-100-million-volkswagens/
Shrub 12 August 2016

Is this news?

On BBC Watchdog last year a number of car manufacturers, including BMW and Ford if my memory serves me correctly (don't hold me to that though) were featured because their locking systems could be hacked. Are we highlighting this because it is VW and therefore fashionable to do so in much the same way that Toyota was always in the headlines for stuff a couple of years ago despite many of the issues also affecting other brands?
fadyady 12 August 2016

Belly of the...

Presently software seems to be the soft spot of the Volkswagen and its army of clones.
Winston Churchill 12 August 2016

fadyady wrote:

fadyady wrote:

Presently software seems to be the soft spot of the Volkswagen and its army of clones.

Surely a better car than your Chinese shitbox MG?

robhardyuk 13 August 2016

Winston Churchill wrote:

Winston Churchill wrote:
fadyady wrote:

Presently software seems to be the soft spot of the Volkswagen and its army of clones.

Surely a better car than your Chinese shitbox MG?

So he constantly slates VW products yet owns an MG...

Winston Churchill 13 August 2016

robhardyuk wrote:

robhardyuk wrote:
Winston Churchill wrote:
fadyady wrote:

Presently software seems to be the soft spot of the Volkswagen and its army of clones.

Surely a better car than your Chinese shitbox MG?

So he constantly slates VW products yet owns an MG...

Yup. He's a troll.