【China Archives】

A creepy device that made breaking into cars look easy is China Archivesback -- but this time it can also start your car.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), a nonprofit insurance industry organization, posted about the "mystery device" Wednesday on their blog.

SEE ALSO: Snowy hill proves to be every car's worst nightmare

The device appears to be the same one discovered back in 2013 that gave thieves access to cars and stumped law enforcement and security experts trying to figure out how it worked. After seeing recent reports of thieves getting into cars and driving away, the NICB reopened the inquiry.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

This time the insurance group got their hands on one of the devices and were able to test it themselves. In the post they said they purchased a "Relay Attack" unit through a third-party security expert from an overseas company. It works on cars with a keyless remote and push-button ignition, such as a Prius.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The NICB then tried to break into different types of cars, including new and used models, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks. Out of 35 cars tested, the NICB was able to open 19 and drive away in 18 of them. Out of those 18 cars they drove off in, the device was able to restart 12 cars after turning them off and on again.

These findings sound pretty discouraging for car owners. NICB president and CEO Joe Wehrle said in the post, "The scary part is that there’s no warning or explanation for the owner. Unless someone catches the crime on a security camera, there’s no way for the owner or the police to really know what happened."

The Relay Attack unit is apparently just one of many types of devices on sale that claim to use the technology to get into cars and start the ignition.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As of now there's no good solution or prevention method to keep these devices out of thieves' hands, so motorists just have to be vigilant and careful with their remote keys and fobs. But with emerging car technology, the same features that make a car vulnerable might make it easier to track down -- albeit after the theft. There's hope yet.

Topics Cars

• Science
• Games
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Shopping
• Tech

• NYT Strands hints, answers for May 5
• At Chloë’s Closet Sale by Sophie Kemp
• Inertia by Kate Zambreno
• A Coiled Spring by Mary Gaitskill
• Best vacuum mop combo deal: Save $140 on the Tineco Floor One S5
• Sentences We Loved This Summer by The Paris Review
• Rear Window, Los Feliz by Claudia Ross
• August 27–September 4: What the Review’s Staff Is Doing Next Week by The Paris Review
• NYT Strands hints, answers for May 1
• Does Lana Del Rey Read The Paris Review? by Sophie Haigney

• TV anchor delivers the perfect side eye while listening to a Trump supporter
• Former MLB star Curt Schilling made a hella good point about poopholes during the debate
• Driverless cars, electric vehicles and mass transit could transform cities
• Instagram seems to be testing direct messaging on web
• Grammys 2019 red carpet fashion: Odd and wonderful, as per usual
• Cate Blanchett's BAFTAs dress looks suspiciously like the Infinity Stones
• Prolific gadget leaker says AirPods 2 might not launch until this fall
• Apple sticking with Lightning over USB
• GoFundMe campaign will pay legal fees of anyone leaking new Trump tapes
• Is this the greatest editor's note in the history of editor's notes?

• Nintendo Switch 2 preorder just days away, per leak
• The Review’s Review: Don Carlo and the Abuse of Power by Krithika Varagur
• Apparently Personal: On Sharon Olds by Gunnhild Øyehaug
• Something Good by Roger Reeves
• The 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2016
• Something Good by Roger Reeves
• The Cups Came in a Rush: An Interview with Margot Bergman by Na Kim
• Playing Ball by Rachel B. Glaser
• 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 3's opening credits has a heartbreaking change
• “The British Male!”: On Martin Amis by The Paris Review

• Skype is finally shutting down
• @ErasTourUpdates: Taylor Swift in Philadelphia by Jake Nevins
• Apparently Personal: On Sharon Olds by Gunnhild Øyehaug
• Are You Thunder or Lightning? by Sophie Haigney
• Q&A with tendercare founder and CEO Shauna Sweeney
• 115 Degrees, Las Vegas Strip by Meg Bernhard
• MEN NOT ALLOWED BEYOND THIS POINT by Molly Pepper Steemson
• Nancy Lemann Recommends The Palace Papers and Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises by Nancy Lemann
• TikTok wants me to host a dinner party. Is that an actual recession indicator?
• On Friendship: Juliana Leite and Devon Geyelin Recommend by The Paris Review