How hackers steal your car

Toyota South Africa has developed additional electronic security measures for some of its high-end vehicles with keyless or smart entry systems and which are increasing being stolen by criminals using sophisticated technology.

The owners of the Hilux Legend models from 2019; all Fortuner models from 2016; Land Cruiser Prado (VX and VXL models from 2017); and Lexus LX 450 and 570 can take them to their nearest dealer for the security enhancements to be fitted, Leon Theron, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), said.

New vehicles, as well as those arriving at dealers for servicing, will automatically receive these enhancements. These will all be carried out at no cost to the customer.

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For all the other models using keyless entry, customers are recommended to buy a Faraday pouch for their keys, which are available at dealers. A Faraday pouch shields its contents from radio waves. Toyota customers with keyless systems can also have their vehicle alarm recalibrated to guard against fob relaying, the company added.

Fob relaying

Fob relaying is one of three methods car thieves use to gain access to cars.

Thieves use high-tech receivers and transmitters to remotely read the vehicle’s security key in the possession of the owner, thereby allowing the attacker to unlock and start the vehicle. Some of these devices have a range of up to 100m.

Another method is to attack the car’s control area network to gain access to the electronic control module and start the engine.

The third method used is a combination of forced entry and key cloning and is done using advanced techniques and equipment to disable the vehicle’s alarm system and then cloning its security key.

It had been “proactively conducting extensive research and development into the enhancement of its vehicle security systems”, Toyota said. The company’s research and development team worked with various parties, including the SA Police Service, to gather intelligence and the innovations follow on from this.

“TSAM has developed several measures to mitigate possible theft of Toyota and Lexus-branded vehicles.”

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