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Original Sussex Installations video

WARNING! Van Security Alert - New Keyless Entry Hack Means New Tool Theft and Van Theft Risks!

Feb 25, 2019 · 11,847 recorded views

Video ID: 2SGD9O5tSi8Attacks, shielding and repairFeb 25, 2019 · 11,847 recorded views

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Jeff Scott’s retrospective context — 2026

This video marked another change in the type of threat. The attack was no longer necessarily through a lock, handle, latch or body panel. It exploited the radio communication used for convenient keyless entry and starting.

My aim was to explain the attack before selling anything: how the signal was being extended, why the vehicle accepted it and what practical actions an owner could take, including disabling keyless features where possible or storing keys in suitable RF-blocking protection.

It reinforced the same principle seen throughout the mechanical-security videos: convenience technology and manufacturer claims should not simply be trusted. The behaviour has to be understood and tested.

It reinforced the same principle seen throughout the mechanical-security videos: convenience technology and manufacturer claims should not simply be trusted.

Original description

As if van owners don't already have enough to worry about with all the van tool theft and theft of whole vans!! Vehicle theft has risen by 50% in the last 3 years and tool theft from vans is at an all time high. Tradesmen up and down the country are struggling to understand all the different problems with van security and now we have a whole new generation of problem to try and get your heads around with the new keyless entry technology being added as standard to some new vans.

Please watch the video to understand the problem and share it with other tradesmen so they can understand how they can protect themselves from this type of attack.

Find out more on our website at https://www.sussexinstallations.co.uk...

Music by bensound.com

Historical context: This video records the advice, products and attack methods relevant when it was published. Current recommendations may have changed as vehicles, products and criminal methods evolved.

Common questions

How can thieves unlock my van without ever touching my keys?

With keyless entry, your key is constantly pulsing a signal so the van can "handshake" with it when someone touches the door handle. Thieves can use two relay-style range extender boxes, one near your key at home or in your pocket and one by the van, to carry that handshake between them over the air or even over a mobile network, so the van unlocks, the alarm disarms, and in some cases it can be driven away, all without anyone touching your actual key.

How do I know if my van has this vulnerable keyless entry, rather than a normal key fob?

The simple test is whether you have to physically press a button on your key to lock or unlock the van. If you do, you've got a normal fob and this particular attack doesn't apply. If the van unlocks just from the key being nearby, with no button press needed, then it's pulsing that constant signal and is vulnerable to a relay attack.

What can I actually do to stop this relay-style attack?

Store your key somewhere that blocks its signal, an RFID-blocking wallet designed for this (which we sell), or even a metal tin or wrapping it in tin foil as a low-tech test, since a metal-lined container stops the transmission getting out. It's also worth checking your vehicle's settings menu, or asking the manufacturer, since some vans let you turn keyless entry off entirely so you're back to pressing a button like everyone else.

Transcript

Show transcript
0:00 -hi I'm Jeff Scott from sussex
0:01 -installations today's video is about a
0:03 -whole new problem with Van security Now
0:06 -if we didn't have enough problems
0:07 -already with like manufacturers making
0:09 -really stupid mechanisms for their
0:11 -security for their Vans really strange
0:13 -Central locking Behavior where Vans are
0:15 -just like unlocking themselves when
0:17 -you're pulling a side lad door out not
0:19 -naming any specific models and attacks
0:23 -left right and Center tool theft people
0:25 -stealing the actual Vehicles perhaps to
0:26 -drive away and then steal the tools out
0:28 -the back of them now this is something
0:30 -so this this car this is a perso expert
0:32 -van sorry and they're going a bit more
0:34 -like the car technology this is the
0:36 -keyless entry so now you don't even need
0:38 -to press the unlock button you just have
0:40 -to have your remote control present so
0:42 -if someone presses this basically what
0:44 -happens is if the key is present it's
0:47 -like a handshake that takes place
0:49 -between the brain and the car key it
0:51 -shakes the hand and it says yeah when I
0:53 -press this button are you present are
0:54 -you the right key yeah I am okay unlock
0:58 -but if you've seen all the these ffs of
1:00 -BMWs and Top End Motors basically this
1:04 -handshake can be extended using range
1:06 -extenders so someone could be sweeping
1:08 -the wall of the house with the with a
1:10 -box just basically holding a box next to
1:12 -your house you could have your key next
1:14 -to your bed next to the next to the sofa
1:16 -and that it could extend the handshake
1:18 -not just from being your key next to
1:20 -your van but your key could be in the
1:21 -living room or in your house the key
1:23 -could be in your pocket be a Builders
1:25 -Merchants or suppliers and your key
1:27 -could be in your pocket someone could be
1:28 -stood behind you with a box there'll be
1:30 -someone else stood next to your van with
1:32 -another box and they could be extending
1:34 -the handshake through the mobile phone
1:37 -network and unlocking your van they
1:39 -could just press the button it goes to
1:41 -the one box it travels to the other box
1:43 -wherever that may be the guy stood
1:45 -behind you the the Builder's Merchant
1:47 -and then the handshake could happen over
1:49 -the air so this is a massive problem and
1:53 -with this not only can they just unlock
1:54 -your whole van it disarms the alarm but
1:56 -they could be driving away your van
1:58 -straight away so this is a big big
2:00 -problem so if we didn't already have
2:02 -enough problems already with Van
2:03 -security look this hasn't unlocked on
2:05 -this occasion and that's cuz I've put
2:07 -the key inside tin foil not expecting
2:09 -you to have tin foil but you could have
2:11 -a metal pot in your house you could put
2:12 -your key inside a metal pot you can have
2:15 -one of these wallets wallets that are
2:16 -like stop all the Transmissions the RFID
2:19 -blocking wallets put your key inside the
2:21 -wallet and that means that people can't
2:23 -grab the code using these range
2:25 -extenders so let's see what happens now
2:27 -if I take the the key out theide of this
2:29 -for
2:35 -here and I just hold it in my hand now
2:37 -and let's go to the handle of the van
2:40 -press the
2:43 -button and it's unlocked so look I
2:45 -didn't actually press the remote control
2:47 -all I did was touch the button and
2:48 -that's it at least luckily with this the
2:51 -alarm has actually gone off because I
2:54 -double pressed the alarm to start with
2:56 -but it unlocked the whole
2:58 -van just press that to stop it so that
3:01 -that is a massive problem that is
3:02 -something that you really really got to
3:04 -be careful about is these range
3:06 -extenders if you've got one of these um
3:08 -keyless entries so not to be confused
3:10 -with a normal regular lock and unlock
3:12 -key like this one with this one if I
3:15 -want to lock or unlock the vehicle I
3:17 -have to press the button on it I have to
3:18 -physically press the button and then it
3:20 -will transmit the signal so what we're
3:22 -talking about is the vehicles where you
3:24 -don't need to press the unlock button
3:25 -the ones where the key just needs to be
3:27 -there in order for the handshake to take
3:29 -place basically these keys are all
3:31 -pulsing all the time like there's a
3:33 -frequency coming from them all the time
3:34 -to enable that handshake and that's the
3:36 -problem if that frequency is pulsing
3:38 -while it's next to your bed at home
3:40 -while it's in your pocket while you're
3:42 -at the um the Builder's Merchants it can
3:44 -be that someone could be using that
3:46 -handshake via one of these wireless box
3:49 -like extender type of devices to access
3:51 -your van um if you've got one of these
3:53 -wallets this is something that's um for
3:55 -sale on our website you can use this and
3:58 -you can put the key inside the wallet
4:00 -and basically it will stop the key from
4:02 -transmitting so this key now if I look
4:04 -at it against the the box if I press the
4:08 -button the transmission does not get
4:10 -past the Box because it's a a metal
4:13 -lined box it is stopping those
4:14 -Transmissions so if you was to keep your
4:17 -key inside one of these then your
4:19 -vehicle will be safe all the time the
4:21 -key isn't inside one of these it'll be
4:23 -safe from this wireless box repeater
4:25 -style attacks mean that people can't
4:27 -just use one of them boxes sweeping past
4:29 -your house
4:30 -keep it inside there keep your van safe
4:32 -um there's also might be the option that
4:34 -you can just turn off the keyless entry
4:35 -on your vehicle using the settings menu
4:37 -so if you've got a new vehicle that has
4:39 -this keyless entry maybe have a word
4:41 -with your manufacturer or take a look
4:43 -through the settings on the vehicle and
4:44 -see can you just turn off keyless entry
4:46 -and if that's the case it's going to be
4:48 -a lot easier for you to to keep your van
4:50 -secure then at least you're back to
4:51 -normal the way everybody else is you've
4:53 -got to actually press the unlock button
4:55 -in order to unlock the van of course
4:57 -take a look at the website in terms of
4:59 -of what F security packages we might
5:01 -offer for your model vehicle anyway cuz
5:03 -all these makes some models vehicles
5:05 -have like their own vulnerabilities
5:07 -their own weak point in the terms of
5:09 -kind of people stealing tools from them
5:11 -or possibly even stealing the whole
5:12 -vehicle the website address is www.
5:15 -sussexinstallations
5:16 -do.uk thanks for
5:28 -watching

Transcript source: the YouTube transcript supplied for this project with minor corrections. Automated transcripts can contain recognition errors and should be checked against the original video.

Page details

Author
Jeff Scott
Publisher
Sussex Installation Team Ltd
Updated
2026-08-27
Primary focus
Attacks, shielding and repair
Jeff Scott, founder of Sussex Installation Team Ltd
About the author

Jeff Scott — Van Security Specialist and Industry Educator

Jeff Scott is the founder of Sussex Installation Team Ltd (Sussex Installations). He has fitted vehicle-security systems since 1997, started Sussex Installations in 2003 and has specialised in van security since 2008. His work combines installation, vulnerability research, product design, UK manufacturing and long-term public education.

In 2009, Jeff published the first known YouTube video explaining mechanical key-operated van deadlocks. He has continued documenting van-security products, installation standards, vehicle vulnerabilities and changing attack methods ever since – earning his description as "The OG Van Security YouTuber."

Jeff has supported thousands of professional vehicle aftermarket technicians across the UK and beyond with access to technical information, while actively promoting higher quality installation standards through his trade community ifitstuff.com since 2006.