It is interesting to read in the news that David Beckham (the English football star)
had 2 of his BMW X5 SUVs stolen in the past 6 months by high-tech car thieves using
laptops loaded with special software to crack the keyless entry and ignition systems
in the SUVs. A wireless connection was made between the laptops and the systems in
the SUVs to start the engines and open the doors. Experts suspect that it took less
than 20 minutes for the thieves to break into each SUV.
Many BMW enthusiasts have quickly come in to defend the BMW system by suggesting the
privileged information regarding the way the software works and the encryption keys
employed by the system have been compromised. Regardless of whether it is a weakness
in the actual system or a weakness in the process of keeping the information from
such thieves, it is a weakness nevertheless - since poor Beckham's BMW X5 SUVs were
indeed stolen.
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