Scientists copy keys with computer imaging to make sure we feel insecure

Not satisfied with the time-honored traditions of lockpicking or bump keying, computer science professor Stefan Savage and a handful of grad students at the University of California at San Diego have developed a computer system that makes a functional copy of a key based solely on a photograph, regardless of angle or distance -- the image resolution just has to be high enough to make out the details. They claim they did this "to show people that their keys are not inherently secret" so they'll be more careful about flaunting them around in their Flickr photos, but we're worldly enough to know that they really did it to steal beer from rival frat houses. Shame!

[Via Switched]

[iEye @ Nov 6th 2008 8:00AM]

Not surprising, you can copy any key if you have the detailed picture of it... and just because you are on top of a roof does not impress.. what is a zoom lens for?

Besides, someone can copy my house keys, I actually encourage it because

1 -"anything I do to an intruder in my home is nice and LEGAL"
2 - backup iPhones are locked away in a bank safe deposit box

[Kizorblade @ Nov 6th 2008 8:03AM]

What about those Windows stickers you keep hidden away? Surely you don't want people to see those...

[broli @ Nov 6th 2008 8:07AM]

You think you're man enough to have a gun at your head telling you to open the safe you just disclosed?

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:24AM]

I think the criminal that would have a gun to his head would have a hard enough time getting past the bank guards and into the vault where the safe deposit box is.

[thazlett @ Nov 6th 2008 10:58AM]

die

[TravisO @ Nov 6th 2008 11:01AM]

You don't have to "get past the guards", they'll gladly let you in by spending the $20 to get your own box :P

Once guy who copied your safety deposit box key has it, he can simply go buy a safety deposit box in the same bank (ok ok he probably has no idea which bank the key goes to) and while he's in there, opens your box too.

[Callum Bush @ Nov 6th 2008 8:03AM]

We would have invented this in the UK but we're too preoccupied with welding CCTV cameras on top of the existing ones.

[Tim @ Nov 6th 2008 11:42AM]

Actually, that was a funny comment... from a UK perspective...

[Ethan @ Nov 6th 2008 1:20PM]

That's Jeremy Clarkson level humour.

[Technex @ Nov 6th 2008 8:04AM]

I had the same idea a while back, but I think of crazy things all the time, scary isn't it.

[Callum Bush @ Nov 6th 2008 8:06AM]

iEye - Is that in America? In the UK if you touch an intruder or an attacked they sue you and win....its shocking.
A farmer shot dead an intruder in a night-struggle in his home and he went to prison for a very very long time (cant remem if it was life).

[Decker @ Nov 6th 2008 8:26AM]

Tony Martin: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/3009769.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/sep/22/tonymartin.ukcrime

[Seth @ Nov 6th 2008 8:30AM]

Yeah in the USA if someone is in your house and you feel that you are in imminent danger you can take whatever steps you feel are necessary to protect your property, your family, and your own life.

On the flip side - if you don't actually kill them and end up only maiming them... then they can sue you for pain and suffering and will probably win. Even if you do kill them though - their family will probably sue you anyway.

But at least you don't go to jail...

[jonz @ Nov 6th 2008 11:20AM]

In USA, if you trick or treat, you get leads:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/01/halloween.slaying.ap/index.html

[Ekauq @ Nov 6th 2008 8:08AM]

an article about copying keys from a photo, with the example being a photo of keys on a book about security...nice

[Deckard @ Nov 6th 2008 8:20AM]

Incredible, it's almost like they planned it.

[xwingband @ Nov 6th 2008 8:20AM]

If you're that paranoid don't use locks that anyone can get from their hardware store. The Kwikset keys in the picture are like the cheapest most ubiquitous keys.

If they could copy my Medico keys it'd be easy to track them down as they don't give the cutting machines to just everyone.

[mddeff @ Nov 6th 2008 10:42AM]

Why get a key duplicator when you can just throw money at the problem

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/08/medeco-locks-cr.html

[xwingband @ Nov 6th 2008 4:52PM]

So, I just won't get in the habit of giving my keys for people to scan.

The bump key one when you follow the linked is a little more concerning, but the blanks are pretty regulated too.

[Thomas Trautman @ Nov 6th 2008 8:44AM]

I had to call a lock smith to help me back into my car. He didn't want to just pop the lock and possibly damage the door.

In this case the key was laying right on the passenger seat (I know I'm a ball of white heat.). In any case he was able to eyeball the key, make a few notes and cut one in his truck. It worked on the second try.

[Mile @ Nov 6th 2008 9:18AM]

I find more impressive than this article!

[Daniel @ Nov 6th 2008 11:40AM]

I was about to mention this incredibly advanced method of duplicating keys as well! My family owns a locksmith shop and we've created keys from the most obscure sources.

My favorite story was a wife who lost her keys while her husband was out of town, after doing some extensive research and verification (had to make sure she was telling the truth) we had the husband photocopy the appropriate keys and fax them to us. She had a complete set of keys and was back on her way.

[yippadee @ Nov 6th 2008 2:37PM]

As stated in the original article at http://www.calit2.net/newsroom/release.php?id=1417 and the paper available at http://vision.ucsd.edu/~blaxton/sneakey.html the authors acknowledged that expert locksmiths have been able to do this for quite some time by eye. However, this technology coupled with the ubiquity of image sensors has made this possible for untrained people as well - thus substantially broadening the security threat. On a more philosophical note, it is an interesting example of how digital security threats are beginning to bleed into real physical devices in the world - not just those directly attached to computers.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 6th 2008 7:26PM]

How interesting that someone else other than me was also thinking of the same idea, however; I am too lazy to actually do anything about it.

Congrats to the team who pulled it off.

[HOOPER @ Nov 6th 2008 10:11PM]

Uh, your locksmith is a robot

[Ethan @ Nov 6th 2008 8:49AM]

This is so turning up in a episode of spooks.

[kal326 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:11AM]

RFID locks>key locks now. You scared of somebody reading your rfid chip from a few inches away now?

[mddeff @ Nov 6th 2008 10:53AM]

I was never too impressed with the security of RFID

http://freeworld.thc.org/thc-epassport/

The king is back!

[Brian @ Nov 6th 2008 10:01AM]

good thing i just switched to the USB lock they came up with a couple weeks ago.

[xmrblondex @ Nov 6th 2008 11:02AM]

There's only one problem: There are no fraternity houses at UCSD.

[Bones3D @ Nov 6th 2008 11:43AM]

Wasn't this done ages ago with a Diebold voting machine? If I remember correctly, the company actually had pictures of one of their keys for their systems hosted on their own website, which were later used to produce a physical key fully capable of opening one of the machines.

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/25/diebold-voting-machi.html

[dcm @ Nov 6th 2008 12:04PM]

That's my school bitznatches!

[Citrixter @ Nov 6th 2008 12:51PM]

This is why I have tattoos of other keys on all of my keys.

[Mile @ Nov 6th 2008 1:20PM]

And a new industry is born - key tattooing.

[surt @ Nov 6th 2008 11:55PM]

Patent pending on spring retracting key cover.

[mls @ Nov 13th 2008 10:49PM]

Locks are there to keep the honest people honest. Someone that wants to get in badly enough will get in.