It might be a good idea to upgrade your purse, wallet, and key protection.

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Josep Pi Rodriguez, an "ethical hacker" and principal security consultant at IOActive, published a white paper on how to hack a Model Y.

Two people could use a couple of devices, including a Proxmark RDV4 that you can get online for $340, but there are cheaper versions on websites like Amazon.

Rodriguez said that using a Proxmark, something anyone could buy online and use as long as they had the coding skills to write their own firmware for it, is new to him.

He said that this is the first working attack against a car.

Rodriguez said that the device has never been used in public.

The hacking has consequences for other people.

It reveals new vulnerabilities for a host of other tap-to-unlock car keys, cards, or fobs and tap-to-pay cards that use Near-field Communication.

Everyone should understand the risks and understand the paper.

How the Model Y Tesla Hack Happened

Two people could hack into a car.

Many digital car unlockers have conversations with the car to confirm the key placed near it is the one that is supposed to unlocks the car.

Rodriguez showed how a hacker could listen in.

One person would take the Proxmark device and get close to a person's electric vehicle.

A person goes near the owner's phone or keycard with any device that supports Near Field Communication. It can happen while you're waiting in a line for coffee or at a table for food.

The two devices can communicate with each other to let the car know that the door is open.

Rodriguez demonstrated it at a short distance, but he thought it could be done over a long period of time.

Someone could get near you with the device and open your car at the airport in Miami if you traveled with it.

He said you wouldn't know the car isn't there. It's a pretty advanced hack.

That is part of the reason why this attack is concerning, even though the car industry had previously been concerned about near field communication hacks.

The attack is getting a lot of attention because it is a unique one. It's possible to do it on other cars with this protocol.

Rodriguez told The Verge that a hacker would have to go through a second attempt to start the car if they wanted to sell it.

How to protect yourself

The risk of having your card scanned in public has been there for a long time. Rodriguez had suggestions on how to fix the problem. It could come down to one thing for the consumer.

You would not be able to use the various types of credit card unscrambling machines. Rodriguez said that consumers could prevent the car from being driven off by enabling PIN-to-drive. Many cars don't have this option.

He said that you can get phone cases that block the radio waves.

The company didn't reply to the request for comment.

The PIN feature would fix the vulnerability, Rodriguez said. He said that he thought the risk was mitigated by the company.

Rodriguez wrote in the paper that the feature is optional and that the owners may not use it.

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