Where do you park your car keys? Preventing relay attacks

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Modern cars are typically fitted with a keyless entry or ‘smart key’ system that allows drivers to work the door locks, trunk or tailgate, and ignition without physically touching their key fob or remote. The thing is, those signals never sleep, and they can even help thieves make off with your car from afar. 

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Keyless Entry Systems

The intelligent key fob and vehicle are electronically linked to one another, using a low-energy wireless communication signal. When drivers are in close proximity to their car or truck, the signals are validated and the vehicle is unlocked when the driver touches the door handle. Once inside, the ignition can be turned on, again, with no need to handle the physical key or remote. By design, this system intends to authenticate the communication signals and grant access to the vehicle only when the key fob and vehicle are in close proximity to one another — perhaps separated by just a few feet. 

While parked, your vehicle continues to watch for the signal from its key fob, waiting to be unlocked, started up, and driven away. When that signal is detected, and confirmed to be within very close proximity to your Camry or F-150, access to the locks and ignition is granted.

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The technology behind this system is enjoyed for its convenience by millions of drivers around the world every day, but there are two reasons to be careful about where and how you store your car’s key fobs when they’re not in use.

Relay Attacks

As it turns out, there’s a pretty serious reason to be careful about where (and how) you store your key fobs: relay attacks.

A relay attack happens when a car thief uses specialized electronic equipment to sniff out and amplify the communication signals used by your car and its fob. The goal is to pick up the signal from a key fob, amplify it, and transmit it over a distance to another device located near the car or truck that mimics its key. 

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In this way, thieves bridge the proximity gap to trick your car into thinking its fob is just a foot or two away — even at a great distance.

A relay attack can be carried out in your driveway, perhaps by sniffing out a signal from the key fob inside your front door. In other cases, a thief may follow you into a shopping mall to pick up the key signal from your pocket, transmitting it to an accomplice that’s waiting near your car for the unlock.

The equipment used in these attacks is neither expensive nor difficult to find. In fact, when reporting on a rash of relay attacks of Toyota and Lexus models around the Ottawa area, CBC News reported that thieves were using a $200 signal amplifier. 

According to this in-depth explanation of relay attacks on Comparitech.com , authorities in the UK have reported that 80 per cent of vehicles stolen were done so without use of the owner’s keys. 

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In some cases, relay attacks are used to grant car thieves quick access to your interior, where valuable items can quickly be found and removed. In other cases, relay attacks are used to steal the entire vehicle, which may be driven into a shipping container and bound for overseas.

Battery Drain

Another reason to rethink where you leave your keys is battery drain. Many variables affect the distance that car-to-fob communication signals can travel, and while intended to validate your specific key fob only in close proximity, the communication signals may reach out and engage with one another at a greater distance than what’s apparent to the driver.

Translation? Even if your key fob and vehicle are too far from one another to grant access, they might still be sending signals back and forth. This uses up electricity, which can consume both your key fob and vehicle batteries — sometimes, surprisingly quickly.

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There are numerous reasons a battery may suddenly become drained or otherwise cause trouble, and it turns out that one of them is parking your key fob too close to your parked car while you’re not using it. Numerous owners communities have reported that mystery battery drain may be caused when a key is left too close to its car– perhaps if you toss your keys onto a shelf in the garage next to your parked car, or on a hook in the entrance way, just a few steps from the vehicle  parked outside.

Some owners report mysterious battery problems — for instance, a very short lifespan from remote key fob batteries, or instances of surprise dead batteries in their cars or trucks for no apparent reason, sometimes repeatedly.  Again, there are many variables — but if your key fob and crossover are up all night talking to one another over those low-energy radio waves, battery life can suffer.

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So, that’s one good reason to make sure you keep your keys and your car far apart when they’re not in use. Your batteries (and your wallet) may thank you.

Protect Yourself

Protecting yourself from relay attacks is relatively easy, and automakers have been helping, too.

For instance, parking your vehicle indoors, in a well lit area, near security cameras, or in a high-traffic area may make it less desirable for thieves. 

According to CAA, use of a signal blocking pouch can help your key fob keep its signals to itself, which interferes with the signal-amplifying equipment used in relay attacks.

If you’re like most drivers, you probably store your car keys near your front door. That’s why this is the first place many relay attackers will go sniffing for your signal. So, consider storing your keys somewhere else in your house, ideally away from exterior walls. Storing key fobs in a metal container, like a can or toolbox, can help block the signal from detection as well. 

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The gist? Keeping as much space and infrastructure as possible between your keys and your car can help lower your risk. 

Automakers have begun responding to concerns about relay attacks with new features. For instance, some have added motion sensors to their fobs, which automatically put the communication antenna into ‘sleep mode’ if the fob isn’t handled (or moved) for more than a few moments. When the fob is picked up, the motion sensor powers the antenna back on.

Though inconvenient, removing key fob batteries stops any signal from being emitted, and may be a solid tactic in some situations. Some key fobs can be powered down by holding and tapping a sequence of buttons, which powers the unit off to similar effect. 

Here’s some more reading , but bear in mind that this function isn’t available on all makes and models. Check your owner’s manual for more details.

Final Tip

Being sure to remove all visible valuables from your car makes it less appealing for window-shopping car thieves. In some situations when parking my own car for an extended period in a public place, I completely empty my car’s interior, and leave the centre console and glovebox wide open.  This sends a clear signal to would-be thieves that there’s nothing inside to steal.