Most of us have seen the new snazzy car keys that open doors and start the engine without actually having to take the "key" out of your pocket.  They look great, are a wonderful selling point, and are a horrendous security issue.  Why?  Because they can be emulated!  Better yet, it can be done from 100m away.  No longer must a car thief pull the steering column apart and take a slide hammer to the ignition.  Isn't progress wonderful?

"Car thieves of the future might be able to get into a car and drive away without forced entry and without needing a physical key, according to new research that will be presented at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium next month in San Diego, California.

The researchers successfully attacked eight car manufacturers' passive keyless entry and start systems—wireless key fobs that open a car's doors and start the engine by proximity alone."

Source: Technology Review