Hyundai wants Ioniq 5 owners to pay to fix a keyless entry security hole

Hyundai’s latest Ioniq 5 model.

Hyundai is present offering an “optional” information upgrade for the Ioniq 5 successful the UK that prevents the car being stolen with a Game Boy-like device. Hyundai wants immoderate Ioniq 5 owners to wage £49 ($65) to upgrade hardware and bundle components to forestall thieves utilizing handheld devices to unlock and commencement cars without needing a key.

Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis EVs person been under attack successful the UK and elsewhere successful caller years acknowledgment to a blase Game Boy-like handheld instrumentality that cracks the wireless protocols utilized by Hyundai Motor Group connected vehicles similar the Ioniq 5, archetypal Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60.

Hyundai is present offering a paid upgrade for Ioniq 5 owners successful the UK, which it promises volition code “evolving information threats” with improved bundle and hardware components for a “customer publication of £49.” You tin cheque to spot if your Ioniq 5 needs this upgrade here, but determination hasn’t been a akin bulletin for US vehicles yet.

It’s not wide wherefore Hyundai is asking customers to wage for the luxury of having their cars protected against a flaw successful Hyundai’s ain information mechanisms, peculiarly arsenic the car shaper offers a five-year warranty connected its vehicles. We’ve reached retired to Hyundai to remark connected this information upgrade.

Hyundai’s upgrades are designed to support against a emergence successful thieves utilizing a handheld device, which was reportedly designed by hackers successful Europe to lucifer a Game Boy. It’s been utilized for astatine slightest 5 years, and works connected a assortment of cars that usage keyless introduction systems.

The Drive reported successful 2020 that the instrumentality tin intercept the awesome emitted erstwhile you interaction a car’s doorway handle, allowing it to ace the algorithm and nonstop backmost a awesome truthful the car thinks a morganatic cardinal is contiguous and unlocks the doors. The aforesaid manipulation method past works to commencement the car and bargain it, and it’s arsenic casual arsenic hitting a fastener alternatively of performing a relay onslaught to amplify the awesome of the morganatic key.

While these Game Boy-like devices outgo astir €20,000 successful Europe, they’ve been widely used to steal a variety of Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, Gensis, and Mitsubishi cars successful caller years. Hyundai’s Ioniq and Kia’s EV6 models were adjacent among the most stolen cars successful the UK successful 2024, demonstrating conscionable however susceptible these cars are to this benignant of attack.

Security researchers besides found a flaw successful Kia’s web portal past twelvemonth that allowed attackers to unlock and commencement cars. It was portion of a bid of information flaws that person been reported to Hyundai Motor Group, the owners of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands. Hyundai and Kia besides agreed to a $200 cardinal settlement successful 2023 implicit the “Kia Boyz” attacks that allowed thieves to bypass a vehicle’s information strategy utilizing a USB cable.