HACKER Q&A
📣 MarkusWandel

How do you "ping" a modern car keyfob?


This has no malicious intent. But in my household, keys sometimes disappear, in one case not to be found again until six months later.

Now the new car (a Honda) can tell whether a keyfob is nearby. This means the keyfob is either constantly transmitting a low power "I'm here" signal, or it is constantly listening at low power for an interrogation signal.

This means it should be possible to "sniff" for the keys' presence. Only presence! Not whatever rolling unlock code would allow the car to be used. But this means one could have some help locating them in the house by just repeatedly transmitting the interrogation signal and listening for a reply.

Is there any knowledge out there to do this? With an RTL-SDR or a Flipper Zero or whatever? That is not tied up in criminal car thieving contexts?


  👤 orbz Accepted Answer ✓
Absolutely something you can do with a SDR usb dongle: https://web.stanford.edu/class/ee26n/Assignments/Assignment5...

Realistically though just put an AirTag on your keychain and don’t worry about it. You’ll get the benefit of finding it anywhere like in a jacket you left at a coffee shop.


👤 tamimio
If that’s your purpose, just attach an airtag to the car keys keychain. However, you can definitely use an SDR to capture the signal, and to send it you need the SDR to be able to transmit, rtl-sdr won’t work.

👤 simonblack
I have a similar problem. Our kids left a gate-opener fob with us while they went away. But do you think we can find it now they have returned?

We have a defined place (a box marked "keys") where we put things like that. but for some reason or other, it's not in there.

Any suggestions?


👤 KomoD
just attach an airtag or tile to it