The integrity of more than 300 million travel locks has been compromised after 3D printing files for a range of master keys were posted online. In other words, if you have a luggage lock with a keyhole for the authorities to use (saving them from smashing open your padlock), people can now print their own keys to open your bags. A number of amateur 3D printers have printed the skeleton keys using the blueprints, and posted photos of their successful attempts at opening Travel Sentry locks on social media.
Reports point to the source of the files as being a high-resolution picture from a Washington Post story about the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that was published last year – an image that has since been taken down, but is readily available online. A quick search also turns up more high-quality images of the seven master keys.
The locks are officially approved by the TSA and come with a small red triangle to identify them. The lock also identifies which of the masterkeys is needed to unlock it by printing a simple code next to the lock, e.g., “TSA002.”
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