Can-bus

Spark plug · February 19

Does our IS250 have Canbus? If so can anyone explain what it is and how it makes them easy to steal...

PDM · February 19

12 minutes ago, Spark plug said:

Does our IS250 have Canbus? If so can anyone explain what it is and how it makes them easy to steal...

It will have CANbus but it's probably not easily accessible enough for a thief to connect to. The models that have CAN headlights (IS250 does not) have vulnerable CAN wiring just above the wheel arch that can be reached with very little damage to the vehicle bodywork.

I have not seen any IS250 reported stolen via CAN injection.

H3XME · February 20

13 hours ago, Spark plug said:

Does our IS250 have Canbus? If so can anyone explain what it is and how it makes them easy to steal...

It's not the same as on the new ones. IS250s don't get stolen. Not a desirable car nor expensive one, it's not a hybrid so it won't be a subject to catalytic converter thefts either. Lots of parts available thanks to the diesels going bang so even parts demand isn't really there.

Linas.P · February 20

IS250 has CANBUS indeed, but it can't be stolen via CANBUS easily.

Basically, the reason why new Lexus after 2016 can be so easily stolen is that Lexus (Toyota really) started using "smart" headlight ECU. For whatever reason (which is really beyond me) they decided to connect that ECU via CANBUS. So the reason why new Lexus are so easy to steal is not because they have CANBUS (all cars since like 1994 maybe have CANBUS), but because CANBUS line runs in easily accessible place (e.g. just under the front bumper) and can be accessed from outside of the car.

In IS250 you can find CANBUS junction near the drivers and passengers footwells, meaning one would have to get inside of car first before being able to attack CANBUS. So that makes CANBUS attack meaningless on IS250, because by the time one is in the car presumably it is already stolen. If anyone would bother stealing IS250, then most likely they would try "keyless relay attack", not CANBUS.

JeffL · February 20

14 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

IS250 has CANBUS indeed, but it can't be stolen via CANBUS easily.

Basically, the reason why new Lexus after 2016 can be so easily stolen is that Lexus (Toyota really) started using "smart" headlight ECU. For whatever reason (which is really beyond me) they decided to connect that ECU via CANBUS. So the reason why new Lexus are so easy to steal is not because they have CANBUS (all cars since like 1994 maybe have CANBUS), but because CANBUS line runs in easily accessible place (e.g. just under the front bumper) and can be accessed from outside of the car.

In IS250 you can find CANBUS junction near the drivers and passengers footwells, meaning one would have to get inside of car first before being able to attack CANBUS. So that makes CANBUS attack meaningless on IS250, because by the time one is in the car presumably it is already stolen. If anyone would bother stealing IS250, then most likely they would try "keyless relay attack", not CANBUS.

Is it known if any other manufacturers uses the smart headlight ECU CANbus method? It would be helpful to know which cars/SUVs are not vulnerable to CANbus attack.

Linas.P · February 20

Most of luxury cars have this vulnerability, just some are less vulnerable than others. It really depends on where the CANBUS is routed and where the ECU is, basically how easy is to pull the cable and connect to it.

I think most affected will be Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Range Rover, Jaguar, but I have also seen information about Audi and VW, BMW, MB stolen the same way. PSA/FCA cars so Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Maserati, JEEP etc.

I have not seen Porsche stolen this way, so maybe they just routed the cables differently. In short - most cars and most makes. Then it is more model specific whenever access is simple or difficult. For example Toyota RAV4 (and also Lexus NX for same reason, because it is same car) and Range Rover Velar and Sport are very widely know to be targeted, because CANBUS is literally under front bumper or in case of LR under wheel well liner, basically accessible by bare hands. Other models may require tools or extensive damage. I think BMW has the access under headlights, so thieves rip the headlights out to access it. As you can imagine driving the car without headlight is much more suspicious and much harder to do than just pull the corner of bumper.