Most car smart keys are not secure.

Most new cars use smart keys, because of their convenience, modernity, and integrated features. However, a survey conducted by ADAC, a German automobile club, shows that many smart keys can have their signals copied for malicious purposes.

ADAC's technical team selected 237 smartkeys for testing. Of these, 230 could be cloned, with fake keys capable of being used to open doors and start the car like an original smartkey. Four types of keys could be partially hacked, opening doors or starting the car. Only three Jaguar-Land Rover car keys were completely hack-proof.

According to statistics from an organization in the UK, car thefts have increased by 47.8% in the past 5 years, while the number of cases where the police have recovered stolen cars is less than 50%. Thieves use the signal receiver of the smart key when connected to the car, thereby amplifying the signal. The car will be "tricked" when the bad guy amplifies the signal, identifies the key near the car and allows the door to be opened and started normally.

ADAC research found that four of the UK’s five best-selling cars – the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Focus – could be hacked using fake key fobs. Only the Jaguar I-Pace and the latest Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover models are completely immune to fake key fob attacks.

ADAC expressed doubts about users wrapping their keys in zinc shields to prevent signals from unauthorized devices from being picked up, as even a small gap could allow signals to leak out. Instead, the German research organization recommends that car owners find ways to temporarily deactivate their smart keys if possible.