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Canada is moving to ban the Flipper Zero, blaming the toy-like security testing device for fueling car thefts in the country. Canada’s Minister Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne announced the ban on Thursday, explaining that “criminals have been using sophisticated tools to steal cars. And Canadians are rightfully worried.”“Today, I announced we are banning the importation, sale and use of consumer hacking devices, like flippers, used to commit these crimes,” he tweeted.
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The Canadian government adds that the country is “pursuing all avenues to ban devices used to steal vehicles by copying the wireless signals for remote keyless entry, such as the Flipper Zero.” Currently, the country is losing about 90,000 vehicles to car theft per year. It’s true that the $169 Flipper Zero can be used to disrupt some devices, thanks to its ability to emulate radio frequency identification. For example, in December, Apple patched a bug that allowed a modified version of the tool to flood iPhones with pop-up messages. However, the maker of the Flipper Zero says Canada’s ban is misguided when it comes to protecting cars from cyber threats. “Flipper Zero can’t be used to hijack any car, specifically the ones produced after the 1990s, since their security systems have rolling codes,” Flipper Devices COO Alex Kulagin tells PCMag. “Also, it’d require actively blocking the signal from the owner to catch the original signal, which Flipper Zero’s hardware is incapable of doing.”Canadian authorities may be reacting to numerous videos online, allegedly showing that Flipper Zero can be used to unlock a car remotely. Some clips even instruct users on how to configure a Flipper Zero to match the car’s key fob, which involves being near it and capturing the signal. But getting this hack to work isn’t easy. Today’s auto systems use ever-changing rolling codes—instead of fixed codes—to unlock a car remotely. This means, each rolling code from the key fob can only be used once to unlock a car. If a Flipper Zero captured the signal, it wouldn’t matter; the code would be expired. Instead, a car thief would have to go out of their way to jam the radio signal from the key fob, all the while capturing the rolling code using a Flipper Zero.
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Flipper Devices added: “Flipper Zero is intended for security testing and development and we have taken necessary precautions to ensure the device can’t be used for nefarious purposes.”The company also referred PCMag to an assessment from a New Jersey government agency that found social media has exaggerated the Flipper Zero’s hacking capabilities. “Most of the posted TikTok videos reportedly may have been staged and provided misinformation, as most modern wireless devices are not vulnerable to simple replay attacks,” according to the New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC).In the meantime, news of the ban is causing some critics to blast Canada for targeting the Flipper Zero, rather than auto makers, in trying to stop the car thefts. “You can use screwdrivers to steal cars too. Does this mean you intend to make sure Canadians don’t have access to any digital tools?” one Twitter user said in response to the ban.
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