Danilo Erazo participated as a speaker in the main track of Ekoparty 2024, the largest and most important hacking event in Latin America. Danilo presented a talk titled “Unlocking Thousands of Cars by Reversing Learning Codes,” focusing on car hacking.
Talk Description:
Currently, there is no documented information on hacking Learning Codes, an algorithm similar to fixed codes and rolling codes used in keyless entry systems (KES) in cars. In this presentation, the complete reverse engineering process applied to this type of encoding was detailed for the first time. Radio frequency techniques and hardware hacking were used to develop an exploit capable of unlocking any vehicle that employs Learning Codes.
Additionally, the Latin American concept of the “Universal Key” was explored, based on the exploitation of vulnerabilities in KES with Learning Codes. The talk included a live demonstration of how to inject a backdoor into KES systems using this type of encoding, as well as exposing the serious collision issues associated with the use of these codes.
Finally, Danilo presented a Python tool he developed that integrates all the researched attacks, such as:
- Discovering and configuring backdoors in KES systems.
- Unlocking cars that use Learning Codes.
- Opening vehicles with rolling codes using known attacks.
Ekoparty 2024 Maintrack Talk Video:
