OpenSesame - hacking garages in seconds using a Mattel toy
samy kamkar1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2016–2018
demo · intermediate · 2016–2018 on HN
Samy Kamkar demonstrates OpenSesame, a device that opens many fixed-code garage doors in seconds by exploiting a newly found attack, built around a Mattel toy. The video explains the attack and which brands are affected.
HN people cite it as a memorable example of a clever low-cost hardware hack and as a reason to admire Kamkar's work.
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3 comments from Hacker News
Samy Kamkar! Here is a video where he demonstrates how to open garage doors with a wireless Mattel toy: ▶ this video He also wrote that one XSS worm for myspace several years ago. Hi Samy, in case you happen to read this ;)
I just read "Garage opener" and automatically I have to think about Samy Kamkar's OpenSesame Hack [0]. Regarding the keyfobs, I've seen demonstrations on video where the RF signal was relayed. I can search for them, but they were in German. [0]: ▶ this video
I'm using their product. Let me tell my story. I have an old garage door opener -- ancient Craftsman. It doesn't even have a secure RF opener; no rollover codes or faux-crypto. My wife lost her garage door opener remote. I looked for replacements and couldn't find any that were less than $40 new or $30 used. Ridiculous. I have an outdoor keypad on the garage, which is detached. It doesn't work very well in the extreme cold because the 9V battery gives out. This solves a unique problem for me: I do not want to buy a new garage door opener. Mine was recently rebuilt with new gears and should be good to go for years. Further, would be a few hundred dollars without labor, and I don't want to do the labor myself. I've done it before; not worth my time. Now, Garadget exists. I got mine for $69. Now I have infinite remotes as long as my wifi works (It's on my IoT VLAN which only can do outbound 80 and 443). So, Garadget solved a unique problem for me in 5 minutes of work and saved me money. Hilarious that a device this advanced is cheaper than a simple RF remote, but that's supply and demand in action. Now is this a security concern for me? No. If someone wants to break into my garage they can eBay some garage door keys and just disengage the garage door from the opener via the keyhole on the front of every modern garage door. Or pick it I guess? Or they could get a kids toy and reprogram it to brute force all the garage doors in the neighborhood. ▶ this video tl;dr while this is the Int