Master Lock steering wheel lock: Picked by a ballpoint pen

First it was those Kensington laptop locks. Then it was those Kryptonite bike locks. Now you can add Master Lock steering wheel locks to the list of "secure" locks you can pick with a ballpoint pen. We even have the video to prove it, courtesy of reader Vlad Tepes who sent this little gem in to us.



Watch

[Steve @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

what codec is this using? I can't get it to play.

[miyna @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

neither can i! waaahhh!

[joker @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

was this filmed in the dark??
cant see a thing

[Morgan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

According to Nautilus in Slackware/Gnome, it is:

MPEG (libmpeg2)

It plays fine in Totem with the win32 libs installed in /usr/local/lib.

For you Windows folks, try Windows Media Player 9, or maybe the Divx Player.

[Milosch @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Xine on linux worked for me, but not mplayer.

[Nekose @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

This ballpoint pen tricks will actualy work on most any circular pin locks. A weakness similar to this has already been know for years utilizing a .35 calibre bullet shell. All you would have to do is insert the shell, twist it a little to lock the pins in place, then gentley tap a hammer on the top of it. With a little practice, you could make yourself an exact copy of the key for the lock. Although I havent tested it, I assume this works on a similar basis.

[mmeiser @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The solution to this is obvious, we need to ban all bic pens and hold bic responsible for these circumvention devices!

-signed, the RIAA & MPAA

[rolder @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

dear RIAA & MPAA:
sorry, but, you are missing the real conspiracy here. This involves the entire ball point pen industry and probably elements of the russian moffia. It's bigger than you think!!

[rolder @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

dear RIAA & MPAA:
sorry, but, you are missing the real conspiracy here. This involves the entire ball point pen industry and probably elements of the russian moffia. It's bigger than you think!!

[rolder @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

dear RIAA & MPAA:
sorry, but, you are missing the real conspiracy here. This involves the entire ball point pen industry and probably elements of the russian moffia. It's bigger than you think!!

[rolder @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

dear RIAA & MPAA:
sorry, but, you are missing the real conspiracy here. This involves the entire ball point pen industry and probably elements of the russian moffia. It's bigger than you think!!

[rolder @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Ooopps. Sorry, but, I kept getting emails like this:

Your comments have not yet been activated.
Please activate your comments by visiting the following URL:
http://www.engadget.com/confirm/5214444900043188/

Hhhmmm. Guess I should stop responding to them, du huh.

[Nate @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

apearently 2004 models of Harly davidson motercycles can also cercum to this typ of pick hehe

i cant spell to save my life

[tefer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

if your using windows media player try installing the kazaa lite codec: klcodec203f worked for me. or quicktime alternative aka media player classic

[tefer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

if your using windows media player try installing the kazaa lite codec: klcodec203f worked for me. or quicktime alternative aka media player classic

[Bill Henley @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I had trouble playing this video and had to right click on "Watch", save the file to my hard drive, then play it. Once it was on my hard drive, Windows Media player had no problem with the file.

[Jay Port @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Mark Tobias of Security.org first broke the story on this several months ago. He is a security expert, consultant and master locksmith, who is only too happy to expose the vulnerabilities in locks. Watch out for those TSA approved locks, they're worthless. Check it out at: http://www.security.org