If you own a model of Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini or Porsche, the news might give you some tension or headache. The scientists have recently discovered a way to start these great cars without a key.
Not much detail is available as of now, but a team of researchers have found the algorithm (a Megamos Crypto) that the aforementioned models use to recognize an owner’s key. Flavio Garcia, along with two other Dutch colleagues, had even planned to publish the results of their finding at the Usenix Security Symposium next month, but Volkswagen successfully secured an injunction against them for security reasons.
In fact VW stated that the discovery could allow someone, especially a sophisticated criminal gang with the right tools, to break the security and steal a car. However VW was willing to let the researchers publish a redacted version of their report, but obviously the group declined citing the public should be aware of such things and has full right to know about security problem as criminals already know the system is weak.
The Volkswagen Group has been very modest about the findings but the recent bout of publicity has shined an uncomfortable spotlight in their direction and will surely make them feel embarrassing and if no way found soon, the company may end up losing its customer base.
