Car Thieves Using Headlight Wiring to Steal Vehicles

Tech-savvy thieves are stealing cars by using devices that plug into the wiring harness behind the headlight of a victim's car, tricking the car into thinking a trusted key is present, and disabling the immobilizer, unlocking the doors, and allowing the thieves to drive away. The devices are expensive but made up of just $10 in components, with the real magic in the programming. The attack can be thwarted by encrypting the CAN Bus network, and Canis Automotive Labs is working on a similar project to retrofit U.S. military vehicles with a similar encryption scheme.