Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Mexican Biker Gang Hacked Hundreds Of Jeeps In Multimillion Dollar Theft Ring

As Grandmother might have said "Well what did you think was going to happen?"
She was a sharp-tongued, no-nonsense woman who probably wouldn't appreciate the complexity of these thefts.

From The Register:
Sons of IoT: Bikers hack Jeeps in auto theft spree
Gang used lifted codes, stolen logins to bypass onboard security
A Tijuana-based biker gang is accused of hacking hundreds of trucks over two and a half years as part of a multi-million-dollar auto theft ring.

The San Diego offices of the US Department of Justice and the FBI said that nine members of the Hooligans Motorcycle Club used stolen dealer credentials and handheld diagnostic machines to cut and program duplicate keys for a targeted set of Jeep Wrangler trucks, which they later stole and stripped down for parts.

According to the DoJ's indictment, the group worked in small teams to identify specific models of Jeep Wranglers throughout the San Diego area. Once a target vehicle was identified, a member obtained the truck's vehicle identification number (VIN), which is usually printed on the dashboard.

The VIN was then passed to another member, who used database login credentials taken from a Jeep dealer in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The database, used by dealerships to perform repairs on the cars, contained the information needed to cut and program duplicate keys.

The DoJ believes that, armed with the duplicate key, a thief popped the hood of the car to disable most of the alarm system and open the door. Then they used a handheld diagnostic tool and a code from the database to pair the duplicate key with the truck and turn off any remaining security features.

A transporter then allegedly drove the stolen trucks, now paired with a valid key, across the US border to Mexico, where they were stripped down for parts to be resold....MORE