Alarm insecurity - jamming, replaying and brute-forcing on the Yale HSA6400

[JohnD]

And returning to the original assertion, how often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a skilled person using a jamming or spoofing device to defeat a wireless alarm?

"Alarm insecurity - jamming, replaying and brute-forcing on the Yale HSA6400," remember?

And how often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a numbskull kicking open a door or climbing through a window and snatching car keys, handbag, cash and running off, alarm or not?

Do I hear you grinding your axe?

 

[bernardgreen]

And in the 6200 tamper ( interference ) detection is by default turned OFF

Enable/disable interference detection:
• Set Dip switch 2 for interference detection. Switch
left to enable and right to disable (default).

How many DIY installers will notice this and turn it on ?

 

[JohnD]

I suppose if they're your hypothetical numbskull with flat batteries who never notices that his confidence flash and bleep aren't working, it won't matter.

 

[cybergibbons]

And returning to the original assertion, how often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a skilled person using a jamming or spoofing device to defeat a wireless alarm?

"Alarm insecurity - jamming, replaying and brute-forcing on the Yale HSA6400," remember?

And how often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a numbskull kicking open a door or climbing through a window and snatching car keys, handbag, cash and running off, alarm or not?

Do I hear you grinding your axe?

What was the original assertion?

I don't think that jamming is happening frequently, as I clearly state in the blog. I've had people contact me about their alarms not going off when armed though, but with graded alarms included. One of these appeared to be a brute force attack on the bus from a prox reader to the panel, over a long weekend.

It was also ridiculous to think of jammers being used against cars 10 years ago. Not so much now.

The point is you can get alarms without these issues. That either means that the alarms that do suffer from these issues are lagging behind, or the alarms that do offer it are protecting against unrealistic threats.

As I've said, people can read the information and make their own decisions.

 

[Twenty Four]

I suppose if they're your hypothetical numbskull with flat batteries who never notices that his confidence flash and bleep aren't working, it won't matter.

So to sum up then the DIYers don't count. They purchased what can be loosely termed an alarm, fit it themselves and forget about it hoping it will work if required.

All good then, the tat should remain on the shelves for unsuspecting "numbskulls" to buy and fit.

 

[JohnD]

that's a very negative approach.

A person on a very small budget who is not a numbskull can get reasonable value for his money. For only £150 he can get and install a package that can chime when the door is opened, countdown when he sets it or enters the house when set, bleep and flash to confirm set and unset, warn him when the batteries start to run down, or if there is a tamper, and honk loudly and phone his keyholder in an alert. He can buy it and have it working in half a day.

If, as is common, he lives in a rented home, he will appreciate that he can do this without running cables.

If he is more prosperous he can buy better.

If he is a numbskull he may not get such good results.

He may have difficulty in finding a professional installer at £150.

 

[Twenty Four]

that's a very negative approach.

sarcasm
ˈsɑːkaz(ə)m/
noun

1. the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
   "John didn't notice the note of sarcasm in his typing"
   synonyms: derision, mockery, ridicule, satire, irony, scorn, sneering, scoffing, gibing, taunting; More

 

[cybergibbons]

Indeed, if they are prosperous they could spend £300 and get a much better system with jamming detection that works, as well as improved battery life and immunity from interference.

 

[JohnD]

As George was opening the door of the Daimler for me this morning, I noticed that the second under-gardener was driving up in a rusty old Allegro.

Is he not aware that it lacks ABS, Adaptive Cruise Control and Tyre Pressure Sensors? That means it would be dangerous if he had a flat tyre and didn't check, or drove too close to the car in front.

Should poor people be allowed to buy cheap cars?

 

[bernardgreen]

get a much better system with jamming detection that works,

and where any and all messages from sensors to panel are repeated if the panel does not acknowledge receipt of the message. ( requires two way communication ).

and where sensors are polled for status when the alarm is being set. If a protected door is open then the sensor will report "door open" and the panel wil not allow the alarm to be set until the door is closed.

and where routine polling of sensors will detect and report if any sensors are missing, damaged or have suffered a sudden death battery. This is because the panel will not get a reply from these faulty / missing sensors.

 

[bernardgreen]

Is he not aware that it lacks ABS, Adaptive Cruise Control and Tyre Pressure Sensors? That means it would be dangerous if he had a flat tyre and didn't check, or drove too close to the car in front.

George's car gets him from A to B , if it doesn't move when he wants to go somewhere then he knows it is broken. He is probably sensible enough to know the limitations of his car.

People who buy the low cost one way communicating DIY alarms are un-likely to have the technical knowledge to realise the shortcomings and the way the system can fail to protect them.

 

[JohnD]

It's just as well that most of them are not numbskulls, and change the batteries when indicated, and look at the Confidence flash and bleep sometimes.

The ones who are so clever that they listen to the chime and countdown will do even better.

That must be why I and my family were so content with Yales when circumstances suited them. We even remember to close the windows and lock the doors. YMMV.

 

[cybergibbons]

That's a terrible analogy, as often car ones are.

You can't buy an Allegro new.

This is more akin to buying a new car that claims to have ABS but then it turns out it's turned off by default because it doesn't work properly.

 

[JohnD]

Let's hope the driver looks at the Confidence indicator occasionally.

 

[JohnD]

the system can fail to protect them

How often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a skilled person using a jamming or spoofing device to defeat a wireless alarm? Or by the coincidence of some other transmitter jamming the signal at the very instant that he jemmies open the door and later walks past each PIR?

And how often do you estimate that an ordinary domestic house, in an ordinary residential street, is burgled by a numbskull kicking open a door or climbing through a window and snatching car keys, handbag, cash and running off, alarm or not?