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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/06/hackers-out-to-steal-a-tesla-can-create-their-very-own-personal-key/ [arstechnica.com]

Last year, Tesla issued an update that made its vehicles easier to start after being unlocked with their NFC key cards. Now, a researcher has shown how the feature can be exploited to steal cars.

For years, drivers who used their Tesla NFC key card to unlock their cars had to place the card on the center console to begin driving. Following the update, which was reported here [driveteslacanada.ca] last August, drivers could operate their cars immediately after unlocking them with the card. The NFC card is one of three means for unlocking a Tesla; a key fob and a phone app are the other two.
[...]
The official Tesla phone app doesn’t permit keys to be enrolled unless it’s connected to the owner’s account, but despite this, Herfurt found that the vehicle gladly exchanges messages with any Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, device that’s nearby. So the researcher built his own app, named Teslakee [teslakee.com], that speaks VCSec [teslamotorsclub.com], the same language that the official Tesla app uses to communicate with Tesla cars.

A malicious version of Teslakee that Herfurt designed for proof-of-concept purposes shows how easy it is for thieves to surreptitiously enroll their own key during the 130-second interval.

Original Submission