Federal and California state law enforcement authorities have broken up a sophisticated auto-theft ring run by a Tijuana-based motorcycle club that swiped 150 Jeep Wranglers in San Diego County over the past several years. The Jeeps, worth $4.5 million, were sold in Mexico or stripped for parts that were then sold in Mexico.
Authorities said the thieves exploited a design feature of the Jeep Wrangler, gained access to a proprietary database that contains codes used to create duplicate keys for each car and then used a high-tech computer to get away with the cars.
Thieves would target a Jeep in a San Diego neighborhood, getting the critical vehicle identification number. Armed with that, they accessed the key database, which contained two special codes: one for creating a pattern to make a new key and the second that programmed a computer chip in the key that was linked to the car's computer system.
It's not precisely clear how the thieves got access to the database, but a car dealership in Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja peninsula appears to be involved.
Link: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-countywide-crime-20170530-story.html
(Score: 2) by DrkShadow on Sunday June 04 2017, @12:41AM (2 children)
But of course it goes without saying:
Backdoors in encryption are _safe_, and the only ones that will have the backdoor keys are the US gub'mint. They'll only be used to prosecute criminals!!
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 04 2017, @12:58AM (1 child)
Backdoors are safe(R) as you only need to trust us(tm). We are infallible(C) which will prevent all misstakes. Only terrorists would not want a backdoor in their ass, you are not a terrorist are you?? ;-)
Now I'll return to backdooring my female friend..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 04 2017, @08:39AM
Backdoors are safe to thrust us. Presumely from behind.