What is OBD Hacking & How Does It Work?

The days of car thieves smashing your window, putting a screwdriver through your ignition barrel or destroying your steering column in order to hot-wire your car to steal it are, thankfully, almost over these days.

We appreciate that might sound like good news; that these primitive brute force attacks that cars of the past had to endure are less common nowadays, but sadly they have been replaced by more technologically advanced, but equally insidious, techniques.

For all the advances car safety has seen in the last 2 or 3 decades, that can also be its downfall, especially when it comes to the security of your car. One of the ways that car thieves are increasingly targeting your car is through the OBD, or On-Board Diagnostic port.

WHAT IS THE OBD PORT?

The OBD port has been a part of modern cars since the mid-1990s.

Over time, cars have become increasingly more sophisticated and added a multitude of driver-friendly features, many of which are driven by technology hidden deep in the body of the car.

As space is at a premium, many of the inner workings of the car have been hidden away behind immovable panels or housed in incredibly small spaces.

This has made it more difficult for mechanics (or anyone) to check for the more obvious problems on a car when faults do arise.

The OBD port gives mechanics and technicians the ability to connect their computers or dedicated diagnostic equipment directly to the car. This, in turn, gives them access to the status of many of the car’s electronic functions through diagnostic tools that may otherwise remain a mystery.

Settings such as the traction control, air-bags, engine status, error codes (which are often meaningless to drivers as they are), emissions and even real-time data like RPM, airflow and coolant temperatures are all easily accessed through the OBD port, but this doorway into your car’s safety and security operations opens both ways.

ANY PORT IN A STORM

As this technology has become more widespread, thieves have also been quick to jump on the bandwagon, which causes problems for the rest of us.

Devices that can be used to overwrite or overrule some of your car’s proprietary Electronic Control Unit (ECU) settings are now available to anyone with bad intentions, which makes your car vulnerable to OBD hacking.

These devices come with their own OBD port and the illicit software that they can use to bypass your car’s security codes and built-in software.

When thieves use this method, as high-tech as it might seem, cars can be stolen in as little as 45 seconds! How do you protect yourself from it? We’re glad you asked!

TRACKERS CAN PROTECT YOU

If you’re looking for a tracker that comes with the ability to protect against OBD hacking, then we have a number of them in our store that would be perfect for you.

The SmarTrack S5+ iMob, the ScorpionTrack S5 Plus and the MetaTrak S5 Deadlock Pro all come with the ability to protect you from OBD hacking.

They work because they include an electronic version of the OBD port. When you turn the engine off, the immobiliser within the system engages and locks the port off.

This means that the physical OBD port can no longer communicate with the engine’s ECU, it’s virtual brain. Any thief connecting to the port will find they won’t be able to reprogram a key or even clone one, rendering it useless while the car is protected.

The lock is only removed by disarming the system, or through either a code or authorisation card that only the driver will have. Only then will the OBD port be opened and normal operations can continue.

Whilst we all value the role technology has played in creating cars we all want to drive, that pleasure can also be a pain for those with bad intentions, so be careful.

Browse our full range of vehicle tracking systems so you’re not the next victim of car crime.

 Whether you’re choosing one of the trackers mentioned here or any of those we have in stock, you’re going to be getting an amazing system.

⚬ Give our team a call if you need any help or advice and we can talk you through the whole process.

We’re available between 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday, on 0330 043 3993 to answer any of your questions. The tracker you choose can be installed either at your home, workplace or anywhere you want in the UK at a date and time that’s convenient to you.