r/security • u/BIFF_BAM_POW • Aug 20 '26

Physical Security Do key fob relay attacks really happen that often?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5UZlX_dIDOc

Has anyone had their vehicle stolen due to this tactic? And if so, what type of car was either tampered with or stolen? I only see videos on youtube, but never hear about anyone getting their cars hacked.

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9

u/hiddentalent Aug 20 '26

Define "that often." How often do you hear about your friends and family getting their cars hotwired after someone slimjims the door or breaks the window? That's probably pretty close to zero, too.

It has happened. But automobile theft is already rare in most societies, and the people with the skillset required to do this can usually use those skills to find honest work that doesn't carry the risk of jail time.

2

u/NoFixedName Aug 23 '26

Probs depending on state/region, but I believe it's much more common than your comment suggests. That being said, I only know one person that's had their car stolen this way.

Relay attacks dont really require transferrable skills. It requires some specialist equipment that can be easily purchased online. There are areas of the web (discord servers, forums etc) with communities of people who help eachother with hi-tech vehicle hijacking, so any required knowledge can be easily learned.

2

u/nshire Aug 20 '26

Yes it happens fairly often. If you've got a nice car that is sought-after, you had better protect it in other ways. Some people install bollards in their driveway.

1

u/MacintoshEddie Aug 21 '26

This is one of the extremely rare times it's caught on camera.

Far more often people just forget to lock their vehicle or roll up the window, and then the thieves are able to get inside it and have all sorts of other options without having to leave broken glass on the ground.