Security researcher, Lennert Wouters, at Belgian university KU Leuven has discovered a number of security vulnerabilities in Tesla Model X cars and their keyless entry fobs. Wouters found that a combination of the uncovered vulnerabilities could be exploited by anyone who can read a car’s vehicle identification number, which is typically visible on a car’s dashboard, and could also come within roughly 15 feet of the victim’s key fob.
The hardware kit that enables someone to pull off this robbery would cost around $300, fits inside a backpack, and can be controlled by a thief’s phone. It would take exactly 90 seconds for the hardware to extract the radio code needed to unlock the Model X. Once this has been done the thief can then get inside the car and target the second vulnerability, where they pair their own fob with the victim’s vehicle, taking a matter of minutes before they can drive off the car.
