So, this is my first post here. This morning, I woke up and saw a notification from the KIA app saying that my doors were unlocked since 00:26 last night. I didn’t think much of it and locked them via the app. About an hour later, when I was about to leave for work, I opened the trunk and found that my car was completely turned inside out. I’m a service engineer, so I have a lot of tools in my car, all specific to my work. They are worth a lot, but there’s no black market for them. Anyway, I went to the police to report my toolkit was stolen, and they thought it was strange that there were no signs of forced entry.
When I got home, I started Googling and found some articles about security issues from this summer, where hackers could exploit a flaw in the software to get into the car and drive it off. Now, my question is: has anyone experienced something similar? Is there a security patch I missed, or is this just a weakness in the system that I can’t do anything about? I received a software update in October via USB, so I’m wondering if I missed something. I’m still in shock and want to make sure this vulnerability doesn’t get exploited again, and I wake up with my gear gone once more.
Laken said:
Could they have used a repeater to grab your fob’s signal? It might have been as simple as that.
Unlikely. The keyfob has an accelerometer that detects movement. If the fob is still for more than a few minutes, it goes to sleep. I’m not sure what the exact time is, but it’s quick. OP has probably learned the lesson many of us have: don’t leave anything valuable in your car, especially if it’s parked outside. It doesn’t matter if it’s special gear with no black market value. The thief won’t know that when they break in. They’re just grabbing anything that looks valuable and sorting it out later.
Laken said: @Harlan
Really? Where can I check that? Sounds like an easy fix for a common problem. I’m less annoyed about the fob price if it has that feature.
Place the key fob close to the driver’s door, like on a table. Test proximity by touching the door dimple to lock/unlock. Wait about 10 minutes, don’t touch the fob, then try the door dimple again. If it doesn’t work, you’ll see.
Laken said:
Could they have used a repeater to grab your fob’s signal? It might have been as simple as that.
Hmm, my keys are on a metal plate on the floor above, about 10 meters from the front door where my car was parked. I’m not sure how far the signal hijacking can reach. Maybe I should get a metal box?
It could be the ‘Gameboy attack.’ There’s no patch, as KIA/Hyundai (and other manufacturers affected) are denying the problem.
One thing that might help is to turn off keyless entry by holding the open and close buttons for 4 seconds until the car blinks four times. You’ll have to do this every time you lock your car.
@Marley
This may be a dumb question, but if I turn off keyless entry, do I need to do anything extra to get back into the car? Does it affect the Kia Connect app?
Finlo said: @Marley
This may be a dumb question, but if I turn off keyless entry, do I need to do anything extra to get back into the car? Does it affect the Kia Connect app?
It just stops the car from unlocking when you approach, which is the part that’s vulnerable to relay attacks or the Gameboy device. In the manual, this is called car wash mode.
You can still open the car by pressing the key’s open button or using the app.
KIA patched the main security issues early in 2023. If you got your car in late 2022, it might not have had the patch. The main issue was with the keyfob, which allowed hackers to steal the car. Another problem is with the Kia Connect app. If your VIN or license plate is visible, hackers could use that to unlock the car. You should check with your dealer.
@Aza
It’s a lease I got from an ex-colleague, so I’m not sure when it was ordered or if any security patches were done. I’ll check if my VIN is visible. I believe it’s either on the door or behind the front window.
I don’t have teenagers, just a cat. (Sorry for the sarcastic response, but asking about my kids felt a bit strange!)
@Elliana
I only asked because I remember the things I got up to when I was younger, haha.
You should definitely check with the dealer. If you have Kia Connect premium, it will send you notifications if doors are unlocked or if they were locked/unlocked through the app.
